Water and Fire
by Yashodoa
Summary: Story of a girl who became a Geisha, to an Empress and the fabled goddess. The story of Water and Fire, of Kagome and SesshoMaru. Rating due to 2 chapters.
1. Water

Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Story concept of Memoir of Geisha belong to Amblin Enteratinment (I think) and Arthur Golden (the person who wrote the book).

Warning: First few chapters strongly resemble the book of Memoir of Geisha, but as the story goes on, it changes into a different ending for Kagome.

Water and Fire : Water

* * *

A story like mine was lost in time, a fabled myth. For my world was a forbidden place with mysteries that was unexplained. I certainly wasn't born to the life of a Geisha, or an Empress as well. Like so much in my strange life, I was carried there by the current of the water, an ageless element through time.

I am not quiet sure where it had begun, it could had begun when I was born, or rather, when I became fifteen and fell down the well, from my own world into a strange unfamiliar world, or when Kami-Sama created the universe. I would never know.

To answer such question, you would have to know me, through the other people in my life, my story is tied with their as well. But I am not going to tell you my life's entire story. You may say it begun when I turned fifteen, transporting five hundred years back into the past from the time where I came from. But that's not my story, but InuYasha's story.

I am going to tell you a story of a girl, who carved her path through the age of time, earning many names, from a simple girl to an Empress and to a fabled goddess. A destiny that is more than it looked; the story of Water and Fire: of Kagome and her Lord, SesshoMaru.

* * *

Kagome blinked and sat up from the hard floor, she groaned slightly. Her eyes grew used to faint orange hue of the light in the room. She glanced around, rubbing her forehead, confused and lost. She felt bandage on her forehead and looked at her arm to find more bandages. She wondered idly if she looked like a fright with so much bandage wrapped on every part of her body.

Her body aches but she knelt and rose, quietly she teetered out of the small room, abandoning her blanket, and she glanced around and found that she was in some kind of two-story house. She didn't recognize anything at all and stared down the narrow stairs that was near the room she came from. There were voices coming from the first floor.

Carefully, she made her way down the narrow stairs, flattening herself to the wall, she found herself facing the foyer of the house, two women, older by the look of their kimono, dark but elegant stood facing the gate where a tall beautiful woman dressed in red and black kimono stood.

Her mind finally worked, she stared at the scene, one woman clicked the flints, emitting sparks twice in the air behind the beautiful woman, and she recognized the woman to be a geisha. Her face was painted white and her lips were deep red. After the geisha gotten into an ancient sedan, being pulled by a runner, the two elder women turned and they both looked at her, standing on the last step.

The woman with the flints hobbled away with the cane, entering another room on the first floor. The other one, handsome she was, her hair pulled up in simple traditional bun held up a hand to beckon Kagome down the steps.

"You're awake at last. Do you know where you are?" The woman asked.

Kagome clutched the rough kimono closer around her neck and shook her head.

"You are at the Kura Okiya, I am Okasan Kura, and you may call me Okasan." Okasan said as she peered down into Kagome's face under the soft light of the lantern hanging on the wall, she took Kagome's chin and tilted her face up. "Oh, how unique. Water." She murmured, referring to Kagome's eyes, being sapphire blue, unusual color for a Japanese human.

Okasan let go of Kagome's chin and turned, walking into the next room where the first woman had disappeared. Kagome took it to follow her and soon, she sat on her knees before Okasan, who sat at her desk, lighting up her pipe. "Tell me your name?"

Kagome froze and realized she had no idea her own name and where she came from. Everything was so unfamiliar to her, her memory of her life gone. She searched her mind for the face of her mother and found none. Tears started to well and fall down her cheeks, her breathing became hitched.

"She's going into a fit." The older woman whispered to Okasan.

"Sh, Auntie. Onna, stop this instantly. You do not remember your name or anything else that matter?" Okasan's voice was hard with edge as she glared down over her pipe.

Kagome froze once again, her breathing became normal as she looked up to the woman and shook her head, "No, I don't remember my own name or where I came from."

Okasan gave a single nod, "Very well. I found you in the forest on the way to the city. I had been needing help around the Okiya and perhaps, a new Geisha. I didn't want to waste any money on buying a new girl and fate had left you in my path. You are going to live here, help around the Okiya, and if you prove yourself worthy, perhaps, I'll send you to school to learn to be a Geisha. But first, you must prove your worthiness."

Kagome sat there, her hands were lax on her laps, staring at Okasan, unsure what to make of all of this.

Okasan rose and rummaged through the dresser on the far side of the room, pulling out several things. "Do you remember how old you are? You look very young."

Kagome frowned, "I think I am sixteen years. Born in the spring…"

"Ah, rather very old… but you have a very pretty face and unique eyes for a human. Auntie will fill you in everything while you are here about where we are and what we do." She turned back to Kagome, "Your name will be Onnako, if you ever remember your real name, forget it, that's your old life, your past. It's gone. You belong to this Okiya from now on." She tossed Kagome a new kimono and pair of stocks and getas. "Stocks, in the house, geta out side the house. To display naked feet is unthinkable, unless you are a courtesans. Go on back to your room, its dark and go to bed."

Kagome nodded as she gathered up her new kimono, stocks and geta, she quickly and silently made her way out of the room.

Okasan turned to Auntie, "I do not wish for Kaida to inherit the Okiya. As for Momo, she's too simple. Do you think Onnako will do?"

Auntie gave a simple shrugs, "She's unique, you must be careful, and there are fire in her eyes, despite of them being water."

Okasan chuckled, "I saw. Have her checked for her purity, if she is untouched, the better for us." She frowned as she looked to the window, seeing the rain patter the garden outside her office. "And have her checked for any miko power. If she is pure and made it this far in her age to be untouched. It wouldn't do if she is a Miko, bad for business. I found her in the middle of the road, as if she was clearly blasted from a battle field."

Auntie tilted her head in curiosity, "Was she?"

"Hai, there was a battle several days ago, not far from where I found her. No one really knows what happened but rumors said it was a battle between a youkai and a miko. The clearing was blasted clean, purified; a sword was left in the center along with a bow and some arrows. The remains of the youkai were nothing left but charred remains. The miko wasn't anywhere to be found."

"You believe Onnako is the miko from the battlefield?"

"I can't be too certain. I needed a girl, someone to surpass Momo and Kaida in their ability. In a year, there will be a daimyo convention, most of them youkai, I need a Geisha who can handle youkai."

"I agree. I best prepare Kaida's room for when she gets back."

"Take your time, she will not return until morning." Okasan rose from where she sat and left the office.

* * *

A week passed, Kagome did her best despite her wounded body to help around the Okiya, shadowing Auntie through the house, cleaning up, cooking and many other things, even helping Kaida preparing for her geisha duty.

Kagome, being very educated had surprised Okasan and Auntie with the amount of knowledge she had in math and writing, as well reading. Auntie went on and explained to her that district the Okiya was a large and beautiful district, called Haiga Sakurai, there was many different okiyas and teahouses in the district, it was mainly for male visitors, any female you'd find would be either Maiko or Geisha only.

The Haiga Sakurai happened to be the center, surrounded by many districts, there were districts that divided up into four larger districts belonging to the Youkai Lords of Japan, and Kagome learned that their Okiya was in the western part of the area, toward the Western district, belonging to the powerful daimyo lord who was ruthless and heartless.

Auntie explained to Kagome that every ten years, the Lords from all over Japan, most of them youkai come together for convention, to meet and many other things for most of the six months and that was the most busiest time for the Haiga Sakurai.

"Come on now, we need to visit the doctor." Auntie hobbled toward the outer gate of the Okiya with Kagome in tow.

"Why do we need to go to the doctor? I'm pretty much healed and everything." Kagome asked, following the older woman. She glanced around the street, taking in the sight of trees and gardens everywhere; it was almost like a painted scene, with Geisha of many color kimono walking about, either in pairs or along with male companions.

"Ah, there's the school. Keep that in mind where it is, you might be going there soon."

Kagome nodded as she saw the school where many girls of ages running toward the gate, they wore simple plain kimono of black with white obis. Kagome's thought trailed as she followed Auntie toward a different district, into a dingy part of the place. They finally went into the house and waited.

Soon, Kagome was shoved and forced onto the table by the women of the house and a man came out, he looked frail and old but Kagome could tell that he is a youkai.

"Hm, so this is the girl from Kana Okiya, the new one?" The doctor asked Auntie who stood by Kagome's side.

"Hai, Kana wishes to have her checked for her purity and," She leaned closer to the doctor and whispered, "any Miko power…"

The doctor nodded as he peered down into Kagome's face, "Interesting eyes. Uncommon for human, make you wonder if she was actually human at all." He poked and prodded Kagome's arms and back, causing her to yelp and bat the finger away. He chuckled. "Don't worry little one, I will not do unthinkable. It's rather simple for a youkai like me to tell if you're pure or not."

Kagome glared at the old doctor, "How?" She clutched her kimono tight around her knees.

"A sniff, that is all. Not many youkai have a good sense of smell." He sniffed and wrinkled his noses, "Ah, untouched."

Auntie smiled and bowed, "Thank you. That is good."

"Planning to turn her into one of the girls?"

"That would be none of your business." Auntie sniffed and turned her nose up.

Kagome frowned as she watched the doctor hobble around the room, taking small boxes and bottles down from shelves and mixing some kind of tea. Soon, Kagome was handed a small cup of foul smelling tea.

"Drink this. All of it." The doctor softly commanded.

Kagome stared at the tea; not wanting to drink it for the smell was so rank. Auntie pushed the cup toward her mouth and Kagome swallowed quickly, tears coming to her eyes.

The doctor dimmed the light and stared at Kagome with skeptical eyes. Kagome sat at the table, wondering what was going on. "Hm, indeed she was a Miko, her power is weak and waning." He gestured to the glowing light surrounding Kagome, faint in blue and disappearing shortly after.

"So, she will not have any power left?"

The doctor shrugged, "It was fairly safe for me to touch her, if she was stronger, and I would have been scorched. Whatever happened to her, her power had separated from her and with her memory missing like that, it will remain missing."

"Is there any way she will regain her memory or her power?"  
"Not unless whatever had been separated from her is returned to her. You say she's not from around here?"  
"Kana found her on the road when she was traveling and brought her here."

"I see no problem if she is being trained to be a Geisha. She would make a potential one. Perhaps Kana should have her trained under Kikuya."

Kagome listened to the conversation and with the week she had been with the Kura Okiya, she understood very little about the world of Geisha. The name Kikuya was familiar, being told of whom she was, one of the top ranking Geisha in the district, and a youkai to boot. Kaida spited her and wanted to bring herself above Kikuya.

* * *


	2. The Current of the Water

Water and Fire : The Current of the Water

* * *

After Auntie and Kagome returned from visiting the doctor, Kagome was stopped in the foyer of the Okiya. The tall woman looked down her nose, "So, this is the new arrival. A pity she looks plain."

Kagome furrowed her brow at the tall woman. She had not officially met Kaida, for she was always up late in the afternoon, when she was out doing errands and by the time she had returned, Kaida was already gone, they had missed every chances of meeting one another until now.

Kaida walked around Kagome, picking up her hair and letting it drop and poked her in the back, causing Kagome to jump. "Stay out of my room. Your fingers smell, I can't have you touching my things." She sneered.

Kagome kept her mouth shut as she watched Kaida warily; she had been warned by Momo and Auntie of Kaida's horrible disposition. Kaida turned her nose up and swished away to her bedroom.

Momo peered from around the corner and saw Kagome alone in the foyer and tottered toward her. "Only reason Okasan tolerates Kaida because she brings in good money." She glanced up to the stairs, her short hair swishing around her cherubic face. She did not have the beautiful face but rather a bubbly appearance to match her bubbly personality. She personally thought of Kaida to be very beautiful and vain while Kagome had the true beauty, with her blue eyes.

She giggled and dragged Kagome away to the kitchen, "Never forget it is Kaida who pays for your supper, the clothes on your back. You know, by the time she was twenty, she had enough to pay back for her purchase."

Kagome nodded, having heard this from Auntie, "I know. I do not wish to make her upset. Yet, she seems to be no matter what I do."

Momo waved her hand and went to pick up the bucket and handed Kagome another one. "Don't worry; Kaida's rather very sour about Kikuya. She wants to be the number one Geisha in the district but, no one can because of Kikuya."

Kagome followed Momo outside toward the well in the garden. "Kikuya, I heard of her names around here, who is she, really?"

Momo's eyes went wide and she went into bubbly mode. "Oh, Kikuya is the head Geisha in the district, perhaps the entire Edo. She's a youkai, a dog one at it. The best in the last several centuries, no one cross her path and live to tell about it. Kaida had it in her mind that she will outrank her."

Kagome pulled the bucket away from the well, sloshing the water onto the stone under their feet. "Do you know why I am here?" She asked as they headed back into the kitchen to continue with their chores.

"I over heard Okasan talking to Auntie, I am not quiet sure, I think they brought you in because they didn't want Kaida take the Okiya." She frowned and shrugged her shoulder, "Anyway, I'm going to do my best when I become a Maiko soon. I can't wait!" She gushed as she washed the laundry while Kagome did the dishes. Kagome nodded as she listened to Momo go on about the dress she would have, the hair do, the make up and her plan of becoming the best Maiko.

Kagome realized she wasn't made to be a Geisha yet; she would become one, eventually. Her heart wasn't in it and she had no idea where she came from. She found it was odd that she didn't mind the lack of memory and the emptiness in her heart. She placed the bowl aside and glanced to the water in the bin, her face reflected from the surface. She knew she should have been bothered by losing her past yet, she didn't minded. She stared at the reflection and knew, she was fated to this life and there were no other choices. She batted the water, breaking the reflection and realized Momo was still chatting away behind her.

* * *

­­­The rain was coming down heavy, she was already soaked, and Kagome silently closed the gate to the garden, shielding the box she was carrying. She had done her duty for the day and as anticipating drying up and curling up on her thin futon and sleep.

The way from the gate to her bedroom was quickest if she had gone in from the front entrance. But not wanting to arouse Okasan and the others, especially Kaida treading through the front and also dragging puddles of water wasn't the best. Taking the garden route to the back door was her plan. She was going to leave the box in the kitchen along with her soaking kimono and head up to her bed in her nagajugan was not a problem.

She noticed the lantern was on from inside, meaning Okasan was in her office. Not really caring, she trotted through the garden then she stopped, there was noises coming from her side, she glanced to the garden shed attached to the garden wall. There was moaning and movement coming from the shed, but not much.

Curiosity gotten to her and she redirected herself toward the garden shed. She saw the door was open, just slightly. Through the narrow slit, she saw a man, he was naked from the top and there were legs wrapped around him. She stifled a gasp as she realized what was going on. Recognizing the long black hair of Kaida, she moved to back up but the man had seen her.

"What? What is she doing here?"

Kaida gasped, disengaging herself from the man and slid forward to open the shed, "Onnako! You bitch, what are you doing here?"

Kagome's eyes went wide and she thought about stammering but decided against it, she stepped backward.

Kaida gave Kagome a quick sneer and turned to the man, "Mamoichi, please!" She pleaded softly, grasping his face.

He gave a small snarl, "Look at this, we're sneaking around like criminals!"

"Mamoichi, don't!" Kaida gasped as he moved out of her grasp, pulling on his haori, tying his belt.

"It's degrading!" He moved away and soon, he was gone from the gate.

"What's going on?" Okasan called from her office. They could hear her moving through the Okiya.

Kaida quickly fixed her kimono, already soaked wet from standing in the rain. She rounded onto Kagome, grabbing her and pulling her kimono, making it out of place, exposing her cleavage and pulling the bottom part to expose her legs. Kagome stiffed and they turned to find Okasan and Auntie steps out into the rain.

"Show your face!" Okasan demanded glancing around the garden; it was darker close to the shed.

Kaida grabbed Kagome and shoved her right in front of Okasan, "Look Mother, I caught her degrading herself with a guy!"

Before Kagome could protest, Okasan sized her up with a look. Kagome felt betrayed and decided to stand for her ground, "No, she's lying."

Kaida nearly wailed, "After all we've done for her!" She rounded onto Kagome and slapped her face, sending her to the ground by the shed.

Kagome gave a dark look to Kaida and helped herself up, "I saw her with a man, right here." She slapped her hand on the floor of the shed inside the door. "His name is Mamoichi, he just left."

Okasan reached to grab Kagome's kimono to pull her up. Kaida shrieked over her shoulder, "Shut up! We should kick her out."

Okasan studied Kagome's blue eyes and rounded onto Kaida, "Take her arm." From behind Kaida, Auntie took Kaida's arms and held her in place. Okasan glared at Kaida, "You are never to see him again, ne?" Her voice was hard. She pushed aside Kaida's lower kimono and with a quick move, she brought her hand up to Kaida's face, feeling the slick of sex upon her fingers, catching Kaida red handed in her web of lies, "What do you think? A Geisha is free to love?"

Kaida looked horrific as Auntie lets her arms go.

"Never!" Okasan snapped, "Bolt the gate. No one is leaving the okyia!" She turned and returned into the Okiya. They could hear Auntie locking the front gate; it was loud over the thunderstorm.

Kagome stayed where she was thrown onto the ground, allowing the cold wet rain soak her skin. She stared at Kaida who were standing stock still; the shock of humiliation must have shaken her. Good for her, she had long deserved it for her cruelty, petty jealousness and selfishness way. Yet at the same time, she felt pity for the woman before her, and herself, Okasan said Geisha are not free to love, it made her wonder does Geisha even have freedom for other feelings as well? It had dawned on her that moment; it was a price to pay for a life of Geisha.

Things between Kagome and Kaida quieted for a week. Kagome had avoided the Geisha at all cost, doing her chores in the Okiya, attending to Kaida when she wasn't around by cleaning her room and preparing her kimono while Kaida was out. It was until Okasan ordered Kagome to attend Kaida to a teahouse one afternoon and deliver a box of inks as well, to sell and get some money for it.

Kagome, in her plain but comfortable and nice kimono waited at the gate, holding the small wooden box filled with bottles of ink. She had found the bottles almost old-fashioned, they were clay pots, topped with corks, and most of the corks were thin and loose, holding in the ink, she knew she'd have to be careful in her geta sandals, walking with the box to the other place.

Kaida was ready, in her elaborate yakuta, black with stitching smattering on her kimono in flowery designs. Her hair was pulled up in simple but elegant do. Geisha wore simpler kimono during the day while the night time were reserved for much more. She stepped out, not even giving Kagome a glance.

Kagome grabbed the umbrella from Okasan and held it over Kaida's head, following the Geisha at her pace, balancing the box in another hand, she struggled to keep up. The street was busy, carts going about, women walking here and there, there were few costumers. Kagome took a glance around, it was a beautiful spring day, and the trees were in full bloom with sakura everywhere.

She caught sight of a very beautiful youkai Geisha walking her way. She recognized her as Kikuya, the top ranking Geisha in the district. Kaida had great dislike for the woman, waning to best her. Kikuya looked elegant in her peach kimono; her hair pulled up in simple but, held in place with silver chopsticks. She wore no make up but her lips were red and her eyes were perfectly slanted, there were no denying that she was beautiful.

Kaida held her head up as they soon passed Kikuya. She realized her umbrella was gone and she was exposed to the sun. Turning to glare at Kagome who had fell behind. She saw Kagome hurrying up and smirked, realizing that once Kagome reached her, Kikuya would be about to pass them. She waited and stuck her foot slightly out, almost grinning as she saw that Kagome was oblivious.

Hurrying to Kaida who were waiting for her, she didn't realize she had fallen behind, taking in the scene around her. She hurried the best she could in the wooden geta over cobbled stone street. She gasped as her feet hit something and shot forward. Bracing for her fall, she let go of the box and crashed onto the street. Wincing as her knees made sharp contact with the stones.

The shriek above her made her forget about crying in pain. She gasped as she remembered she had let go of the box full of ink. She looked up to find Kikuya in her peach kimono splattered with black inks, marring her feature and silk. People around them stopped to stare, shocked at the commotion.

Kaida grabbed Kagome by the collar of her kimono and heaved her up with unknown strength, "You clumsy fool! You're in for it!" She shot in her ear.

Kagome's eyes was already wet with tears, but not from pain but remorse. "I'm sorry…" She whimpered, staring at Kikuya standing there, looking very enraged and affronted, her kimono stained, ruined.

"Your sorry wouldn't do it." Kaida spat, tossing Kagome to the ground once again.

Kikuya stood straighter, regaining her composure. She eyed Kagome then to Kaida, her eyes narrowed at the Geisha. Kagome's apology was caught dead in her throat. She had seen the look in the woman's eyes and was confused, there was no anger or contempt toward her yet it was a hundred fold toward Kaida.

She looked toward Kaida and saw her give a smirk before walking off. She stood, brushing her kimono, ready to apologize to Kikuya but the woman was already gone. She sighed, started about to pick up the box and the broken pot. She found only two were saved, for their lid were tight and the pot was in the center of the box. The umbrella was torn. Kaida was gone as well to the teahouse, abandoning her. She figured it was best to head back to the Okiya and endure Okasan's beating and scolding.

Kikuya had already changed out of her ruined kimono and into the other one watched from her window. She found Kagome slowly treading back to her Okiya without much gusto but more with hesitancy. She had seen Kaida's look on her face when Kagome tripped.

"Mm, that girl." She murmured.

"The one who spoiled your kimono with ink? She deserves beating for being ungraceful." One of the women who helped her with her kimono huffed.

Kikuya waved her hand to dismiss her comment, "No, it was unintentional on her part. Kaida was responsible, I know it. That girl is interesting; it's not every day you'd find a human girl with blue eyes for that matter."

* * *


	3. Water Meeting Fire

- Water Meeting Fire -

* * *

Kagome gasped as she realized she was late for her schooling. Kaida was cruel to her this morning, hiding her kimono and cutting the strap to her geta. It had taken her a while to find the kimono and she had found it, in the bottom of the pan in the kitchen and her geta had to be replaced, she had taken Kaida's while she wasn't looking.

Quickly, she made her way down the street, the best she could in the kimono and the geta shoes. She yelped as her geta got caught in the stones in the street and fell forward onto her knees, she winced as her knees shot with pain.

She turned her head up to find the horse rearing above her, whinnying and as everything came to senses, the man was yelling at her to get out of the street, several women gasped and yelled at her. For a brief moment, she wondered if she was the cause of the commotion around her.

The golden eyes turned to the street; he watched the horse rearing while the man in the cart behind the horse was trying to calm the beast down. The crowd was starting to gather. He frowned, so much commotion and he didn't want to be in the district at all. It was not his taste to seek out Geisha or concubines. But he was here for a reason.

He moved closer to the street and saw a young girl in the middle of the street, frozen beneath the rearing horse, about to be trampled. He noted by her kimono that she was a student of the art. He supposed she had tripped and gotten in the way of the cart and the horse was frightened by her sudden appearance.

He watched for a moment and caught sight of her eyes, blue. It reminded him of someone he once knew. The girl was human but her eyes were deep blue like the ocean. He felt compelled to see the girl; it had been over a year since he had last seen her.

Like a lightening, he went and grabbed her out of the street just before the horse came down on her. He stopped in an alley, secluded from the nosy crowd; he let her down on her feet and noticed she was shaking.

He was amused by her behavior; she had bowed, never meeting his face.

"Artigato, you've saved my life." She bowed low and rose again to look at her savor. Once she took a glimpse of his face, she gasped as she saw the youkai marking of a lord and dropped her head, "Gomen-nasai, M'lord."

He knew why she looked away suddenly, no woman was allowed to meet his eyes because he was the daimyo lord and only he will permit. He reached and took her chin to tilt her face up. She kept her eyes averted as he studied her face. Indeed it was the girl he knew to travel with his half-brother a long time ago and his keen sense of smell confirmed that it was her as well.

She looked a bit older but not by much, the age had done her well to her body and her hair was longer. Her eyes were unusually striking, bright compared to her skin and black hair.

"Look at me." He commanded softly and noticed that her nose was bleeding slightly, perhaps from the fall she had in the street. He let go of her chin and reached for a cloth within his haori. Her blue eyes met with his golden eyes, he saw that there was no recognition, frowning as he gently dabbed her nose. "Kagome…"  
She blinked and realized the daimyo lord was gently wiping her nose away of blood and said a name that caused stir in her heart. "Kagome? That's not my name… its Onnako." She whispered as she took hold of the cloth to her nose.

He nodded, his face stoic, "I see. Watch where you are going." He turned his head as he heard someone shouting her name from the street, "Someone is calling for you."

Kagome turned her head and sure enough, Momo was calling for her, searching. "Onnako! Come on, we're late!"

She turned to thank the lord, "Thank you…" She saw that he was walking away, "Wait, here…" She trotted after him, holding his handkerchief. He turned back and gave a single nod, almost noticeable, for her to keep it. She watched him walk away, his silver hair swaying behind him. She glanced to the cloth in her hand and saw it was pristine white with delicate design of three red sakura flowers on a corner, much like his haori. She supposed it was his crest, whatever Lord he is.

Smiling, she looked to the sky and swore to herself silently that she would meet him once again. He had given her two gifts, one was her real name and this simple cloth, things was looking up and with a nod of her head, she vowed she would become the best geisha so she'd meet him again. She knew then that he was the key to her past.

She ran back to the street and found Momo searching for her. Careful and aware of where she was going, she and Momo rushed to school.

SesshoMaru glanced back and saw her disappearing back to the street. Indeed it was Kagome; however, she didn't remember or recognize him. He had recalled that she was the one who freed the Tessaiga from the tomb and bravely faced him down several times. With a touch to her nose, he realized she had lost her Miko power along with her memory. He didn't like that, despite her being human, it was not Kagome without her Miko power or her bubbly characteristics.

He returned to his business in the Haiga Sakurai district, to seek out someone. He found his way to an Okiya, a large one, secluded with private gardens. He entered and greeted a woman.

"Kikuya." He almost smirked when the woman jumped and twirled to glare at him.

"SesshoMaru! Appearing out of no where and startling poor me. So, what bring you here?" Kikuya smirked as she regained her composure. Her long gray silver hair was tied up in simple but elegant bun and she wore black, white and silver kimono, wrapped around her body in delicate curves. She was also an inuyoukai and the top ranking Geisha in the district.

"The convention is few months away, and it is being held here in this district this time." SesshoMaru said with boredom in his voice as he watched the woman busy herself preparing tea. He had sat down with her at a table.

She looked up, her orange eyes glowed, "Oh, yes, that's right. You need a Geisha to accompany you for the convention, ne?"

He nodded, "There is none that I can tolerate but you. I am here to request your company for the duration of the convention."

Kikuya shook her head, "I'm sorry, cousin. I can't, my Danna requested me already and he is going to the convention. I know you do not wish for any Geisha to smother you when you are here. You're rather handsome and wealthy, after all, you're the Western Lord and most of the district is in your providence. Should I find you one?"  
SesshoMaru frowned, displeased. "No…" He gave a small smirk, causing Kikuya's eyes widened, "I think I know someone. Blue eyed human girl."

Kikuya's eyes widened even more, "That girl? Onnako? She's not even a Maiko yet. Why her?"

"You know I do not tolerate about any women, you're the exception because you are family. But her, I can tolerate, under your training."

Kikuya narrowed her eyes, "How did you know her, after all, you've almost never come into this district."

SesshoMaru tilted his head in a small gesture of shrugging, "I knew her before she was even in this district. Train her, prepare her to become a Geisha, and during the convention, I will be her Danna. You will get money for her training and few other things, buy yourself a kimono or two, and get her everything she need. Have her ready for the convention."

Kikuya smiled, "That's a good deal. I've been considering finding someone to train; after all, I'm rather bored these days now."

"Good. I will not return until the start of convention. She is not to know about this."

"That's fine, cousin. I'll make her the best for you. You'll be pleased."

SesshoMaru stood and gave a slight bow and he left, leaving Kikuya sitting at the table, thinking of a plan.

"Onnako, hm. I wonder how he knew her." She clapped her hands together and smiled.

* * *

Momo gasped as she glanced out of the window, "What is she doing here?" She murmured and gathered up her colorful kimono, calling out to Kagome, "Onnako! Open the gate!"

Kagome brushed her plain kimono away of dirt as she stood up from washing the dishes and went to the front gate. It was raining hard outside and she carefully opened the wooden gate to see a beautiful woman under a black umbrella, she stepped in and handed the umbrella to Kagome, giving her a glance over and made her way to the front door, being greeted by Okasan.

Kagome kept her head down the entire time but she had caught glimpse of the woman and recognized her as Kikuya, the top Geisha in the area. She wondered why she was here at the Kana Okiya. Placing the umbrella down beside the gate, she rushed in and found Momo and Kaida listening to the side door to the office where Okasan and Kikuya was in. She knelt beside the other door on the other side, sliding the door open to leave a small crack for her to hear.

"Kana, I am here to recruit a student. I've been specially asked to train one of yours."

Okasan poured a cup of tea for Kikuya, "Oh, is that so? Momo is being trained by Kaida; I suppose you can take her."

"No. I'm talking about the other one. Onnako."

Okasan looked up to the inuyoukai, "Onnako, she's nothing special. Quiet clumsy, the other day, she nearly got herself trampled in the street because she tripped. I don't know why I bother sending her to school. She's making slow progress."

Kikuya smirked as she took a sip of the tea, "Mm. Well, we can make a bet here. Six months from tomorrow, to the debut, I make her a geisha."

Okasan smiled, "That's plausible. Six months, you say? Isn't that until the convention?"  
"Yes. She will be ready for the convention. Didn't you believe she would be able to handle youkai?"

"I thought at first but her talents are proving otherwise, she's almost best suitable for battlefield rather than in tea house, pleasuring men."

"Well, do you agree? I will provide for schooling, kimono and everything else. Until her debut, if she succeeds, I take her into my Okiya."

Okasan frowned as she pondered over the offering. "Well, I do need an heir to my Okiya. It wouldn't be fair if she succeeds and you take her."

"I doubt she will remain a Geisha after the convention. She might as well pick up a Danna then."

"We'll see. Until the debut, the bet is on how successful she is." Okasan took another puff of her pipe.

Kikuya smiled, "Send her over to my Okiya tomorrow morning." She stood up and gave a bow. "I look forward to this."

Okasan nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Kagome leaned against the wall, having heard the entire thing. Kaida brushed by her, not forgetting to shove Kagome with her knee as she passed, causing her to almost fall over. It was a shock to her that the top Geisha wanted to train her. She wondered why her, not Momo or even Kaida.

The next morning, Kagome quickly made her way to Kikuya's place and met with her outside. She was seeing off an õkami youkai man, handsome, not young, not old, which she had introduced to Kagome her Danna, the lesser Lord of the northern land, Wastunobo.

Wastunobo eyed Kagome with strange gleam, "Kikuya, taking in a new apprenticeship? She looks like a good one, interesting eyes."

Kikuya smiled, "Yes, you might be careful; she will be the type to be spoken for before you even know it."

"I'll see to that. Good luck, Onnako." He bowed and left down the street.

Kikuya turned and went into her house with Kagome at her heels, "There are lots to do before six months is up. I want to see how you are in your training and we can go from there…"

Kagome found that she was in for a hard several months. Every morning, she would get up early and go to Kikuya and train under her tutelage until late into the evening and return to sleep and start all over again the next day.

Kikuya found that Kagome had raw talents and picked up so fast that she was already becoming graceful and skillful in many arts of the Geisha. She wondered why Kagome didn't pick up during her schooling before coming under her wing.

Her training skimmed over many subject spring turned into summer, soon by the end of the fourth month, she was already skillful and advanced in the school. She was given beautiful sets of kimono, of course being paid by SesshoMaru's money he had given to Kikuya, but she didn't know of this.

It came to learning the art of make up and hair-do, Kagome learned distaste of going to the hair-dresser and having wax and oil added to her already long hair, it was painful as they combed and pulled her hair into elaborate hair style. She even asked if it was possible if she could get two set of wigs so she wouldn't endure the tortures of hot wax and keeping her hair in place when she was forced to sleep on raised pillow which was painful for her neck during the night.

Kikuya laughed at her and told her that it was privilege earned by older Geisha to even have their own set of wigs. Kagome would have to have cut her hair and save her hair until she had enough to even have a wig. It was out of question for Kagome, even to cut her own hair.

It came to the end of the fifth month that it was time for her to shadow Kikuya at the tea houses and other places, accompany their clients. Kagome had her face painted to the whitest and her lips painted deep red. Her kimono was of pale pink with splatter of cherry blossom and her obi was of different colors of flowers, tied around her waist so tight to show off her feminine curves. She had sakura blossom pinned to her hair and jewelry dangling on the side, framing her face from her decorated hair. Finally, she stepped out in the night, stepping into the tall geta sandals. It was her first night out as a Maiko.

Kikuya led her to a small tea house and outside in the garden under the paper lanterns, Kikuya and Kagome sat at a small table with Okasan.

"Now you earn your new name, you are now Sadako." Okasan smiled as they drank their tea.

Kagome beamed with happiness that she had graduated from rigorous training and took it in as her name for a new part of her life. She knew deep in her heart, she was Kagome at one point of her life and always held onto the name unspoken by anyone, hoping she would meet the youkai who held the key to her past. Onnako was a small part of her life, lost and wandering as she lived in the Okiya, training for an unknown future and now, she is known as Sadako, the pure child, a Maiko on the way to becoming one of the top Geisha as Kikuya hoped she would become.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Kikuya asked as she fussed over Kagome, checking her kimono, making sure her hair was in place and everything.

Kagome nodded, afraid to speak. She glanced at the shoji wall where it led into the large room that held several youkai lords in the room. She wondered why Kikuya wanted her to work with youkai more than human. As she was about to ask, Kikuya pushed her through the door and she had no choice but to bow along with the older Geisha.

As she stood up, keeping her eyes at coy level, she took a quick glance around. Her heart caught in her throat as she saw SesshoMaru-sama sitting at the far end table, looked bored to the world as the other youkai lords watched with interest.

"Welcome Lords of all around, you are to witness a new Maiko Cheers." Kikuya announced and turned back to Kagome and whispered in her ears, "Remember to do the sword dance…" Then moved away to kneel and take up the shamisen and started to play a music.

Kagome swallowed slightly and took a glance around quickly as she took a pose. The elaborate kimono swayed with her body as she moved gracefully with the music. She spun and swayed, searching for a lord who had two swords, since it was required for her to use two swords. As she moved around the room, giving each lord a coy smile. She saw that there was only one lord in the room that had dual swords. It was him, the lord she wanted to become a geisha for. Pausing, she bowed with grace and gestured to his swords by his hip and batted her eyelashes slightly.

SesshoMaru, he had received a note from Kikuya that Onnako, or rather, Kagome was making her first debut that night and asked him to come. He did indeed come, only to inspect how Kagome fares being a Geisha. Little he knew, she was putting on a performance. Once he saw her enter the room, everything else was gone from his mind and she was the only center focus. She appeared delicate and beautiful, like a sakura flower blooming in the midst of late winter, so pure and fragile, easily blown away by wind.

As she started to move and dance, he saw that she held more grace she had ever had in her life. He noted the fire within her blue eyes was starting to ignite. As she moved around the room, giving each Lord a smile and slight attention, he felt jealousy rise in him and realized, he did not want her to put her attention on anyone else but him alone. When she approached him, she had paused and bowed and gestured to his swords at his hips, he was confused at first and realized, she wanted his swords. Unsure since no one can handle Tokijin, he placed his hand on the said sword and frowned.

She reached out to touch his hand that lay on the demon sword. Grasping her hand around the handle, he saw she had no reaction to the sword and knew the sword, as it has a mind of its own, allowed her to touch it. He released his hand, allowing her to draw it away from his belt, along with Tenseiga. She gave him a beautiful smile and danced away with the sword as if it were fans, twirling it around in calculated moves.

She finished the dance, having enthralled the group of lords, standing with pose, holding the swords to her body in enticing way. As she finished, the lords gave cheers and she blushed slightly and bowed. She moved quickly back to SesshoMaru-sama and returned the swords to him and bowed, "Thank you, my Lord."

He gave a tiny smirk, "Fascinating." He turned to Wastunobo who had sat next to him. His cousin was attending to him. "I think congratulation is in order, Kikuya."

Wastunobo nodded and patted his Geisha's hand, "Yes, yes. I remember those eyes, what was her name?"

Kikuya smirked. "Onnako, she is now Sadako, am I right, dear?" She directed her question to Kagome who were taking hold of the sake bottle, preparing to pour SesshoMaru a cup.

"Yes." She said with soft voice and poured the bottle, only to find it empty.

SesshoMaru's silver brow gave a quirk, "Determined, isn't she? If there had been a drop of Sake in the bottle, I believe Sadako would have gotten it out."

Kagome blushed as she set the bottle down and reached for another one, testing to see if it were full. Satisfied she poured sake for SesshoMaru and handed him the cup which he took from her. His claw grasped around the cup, caressing her fingers. He noticed as he did this, she glanced down and pink tinge formed on her cheeks. With a sniff of his youkai nose, he noticed her scent had changed slightly, not quiet reaching to arouse state. He decided that she had a crush on him, finding this amusing, knowing her past with his half-brother, he figured, nothing of youkai world would ever faze her, even with her lack of memories.

Two more Geisha joined in the room. Kagome saw it was Kaida and Momo, who also in training to be a Geisha as well. Kaida gave a smirk as she turned halfway to Momo, "what a beautiful dance, yes Momo?"

Momo gave a calculated giggled, hiding her smile behind her fan. "Her swords are so hypnotic, that you may not even notice her feet!"

Kaida knelt beside a Lord near SesshoMaru and started to serve the lord his sake, "what's her name? Was it Onnako?" She glanced to see Kagome ignoring her on purpose. She rose her voice slightly louder for the other lords to hear, "A name as sweet she is. I'm afraid that these days, even a common chambermaid can call herself a Geisha. So, it's nice to see such a sincere young apprentice, isn't it?"

Momo replied as she attended a wolf lord across the room. "Oh yes."

Kikuya gave a head gesture to Kagome, "Surely you would like to thank Kaida for her gracious compliment."

Kagome turned her body to sit parallel to SesshoMaru, pouring sake into his cup. "There is so much I would like to say to Kaida. Sometime the smartest remark is silence."

SesshoMaru allowed himself a smile as he held his cup to Kagome, "True, true. I have practiced that often with my half-brother. I wasn't quiet sure which provoked him more, my words of compliments or silence." The entire room roared in laugher as Kagome bowed her head to hide her smirk as Kaida scowled darkly becoming silent herself.

* * *


	4. Waterfall

-Waterfall -

* * *

After that night of Kagome's first night in the tea house, SesshoMaru left the district, returning to the forest outside the city limit to Rin and Jaken. He had to finish his patrol of his land before he returned for the Lord Daimyo Convention in few weeks. By then, Kagome would have her debut, becoming a full Geisha, he was sure he would be there. He had given instruction to Kikuya to watch over Kagome and make sure she was not to come to any harm while she attended teahouses nightly until then.

He greeted Rin and Jaken with soft motion as he appeared before them. Rin immediately latched onto his legs, chattering on how much she had missed him. He gave her a pat on the head and she let go, happily following him as they took off.

Kagome was woken up by Auntie by noon and soon, she was ushered to take a quick cold bath and was dressed up again in a fine kimono and her hair pulled back in an elegant do. She had not seen Kaida around yet and didn't bother to wonder, the less she saw the older Geisha, the better.

By the time she was done, it was already evening and another night of Geisha hours had come again. Kagome smiled at Auntie and Okasan who looked at her with pride. Okasan reached up to fix her hair ornament, "You've done us proud, child. Go and earn yourself a name."

Kagome gave a small bow as she was allowed to in her kimono, careful to not topple over in her tall geta sandals. As she stepped out of the foyer, she met with Kikuya, who was also dressed beautifully, yet her hair was hung down and her face was devoid of any traditional make up, after all, Kikuya is an InuYoukai and she had very little need for make up because her beauty is immeasurable naturally. "Kikuya-san." She greeted formally to the older Geisha.

Kikuya gave a small smile and replied, "Sadako. Come, we have a lot of work to do before the upcoming Lords Convention. We need to make you a big name by then." She turned and led her to the sedan that was waiting outside the gate. Kagome followed and stepped in behind Kikuya into the sedan, they were taken across the district into another part of the town where there were matches going on.

"There's a match tonight for Samurai, where several lords come together and battle in the ring with bokkens, it is an enjoyable sport for men. My danna had requested us to come tonight, he is also with Nobumura. He doesn't like Geisha much either and tonight, it is your job to try to get him appreciate you."

Kagome looked to Kikuya, "How am I to do this?" She asked.

Kikuya gave a laugh as the sedan stopped and hopped right out of the carrier, turning back to Kagome who also climbed out. "Talk to him, use your skills. Whatever you must do. He's a challenge. Consider this, if you get him wrapped around your finger, you will become a Geisha faster. That's the goal here. We are to make your name big around here."

Kagome touched Kikuya's arm before they approached the gate to the Samurai matches. "Kikuya, why do we have to do that? Make my name famous?" She asked.

The youkai woman turned and looked down to the young human girl she had taken under her wing and sighed. "Sadako. You have a great potential." She smiled and patted Kagome's cheek. "Come, let's have fun tonight." She turned and walked through the gate. Kagome followed after her.

As they passed the gate, Kagome saw that they had entered an arena of sort. The center of the arena was flat land with grass growing lustfully. The outer area was lined with walls that had steps rising up. It was nearly full and the afternoon sun gave warmth, shining down on them.

Kikuya led Kagome along the bottom of the steps, trotting by, causing few cat calls from other men and youkai in the audience. Several samurai who sat on the first step, waiting for their turn to battle turned their heads as the Geisha passed them. They reached Kikuya's Danna who smiled at them. He moved over to allow Kikuya sit next to him. The other youkai gave a slight scowl; he looked older and had scarred running down his face from his left eye to his jaw.

Kagome bowed and moved to sit behind the youkai on the step, careful to arrange her kimono decently so she'd sit a bit comfortable on the stone step. She noticed the youkai she was to work on was an õkami youkai, with gray hair tied in samurai knots and he was dressed formally, showing that he was a lord, yet a lesser lord.

Kikuya gave her coy smile, "Lord Wastunobo, Lord Nobumura, this is my new younger sister, Sadako."

Lord Wastunobo, which Kagome had met the day she first went to Kikuya smiled at her. "Mm, I remember you. I remember you did a beautiful dance, and rather very daring with Lord SesshoMaru, taking his swords. I swear, I thought the moment you took them, he'd lop your head off."

Kagome looked down and blushed slightly, "Thank you, your words are too kind for a simple girl like me."

Lord Nobumura snorted as he watched the match going on in the field. Kagome turned to him, studying his profile, trying to think of something to say to him but she was interrupted as Kikuya's danna continued, "Do not worry about the old senile fool, he's soft under all the scars he has. He's rather a war hero for Lord SesshoMaru, he fought many wars and is Lord SesshoMaru's loyal general, am I right, Nobumura?" He chuckled as he nudged the other youkai.

Nobumura rolled his eyes and turned to Kagome, "Sadako, is this your first Samurai Match?" he asked gruffly.

Kagome gave a small nod and Wastunobo gave a deep laugh, "Nobumura-dono will have to educate you, I cannot tell from one samurai from the next, just put me in a battlefield and point out the enemy, I'll slay them."

Kikuya giggled behind her fan as she leaned over to Kagome, making sure the two lords heard her, "That's Wastunobo-san's way of saying he hate the game match and rather to be in the real one."

"My, my, are you too blunt, my dear?" Wastunobo asked as he leaned back into Kikuya's legs behind him. She giggled at him softly and stroked his hair with her claws.

Nobumura snorted once again, ignoring his companion and turned his attention to the match. "Sadako, see this, the samurai in the red has upper hand of two moves over the blue ones. Their objective is to take the other one out in less move."

Kagome nodded as she listened intently, watching the match. The õkami continued, "Ah, I foresee the blue one will take the red out in the next two moves." And sure enough to his words, the blue one came out in victor.

Kagome understood the basics of the samurai matches, "So, the blue one will move to the next round and try to defeat the next opponent?" She eyed the board at the end of the field with several signs on it, matching up like a pyramid, of who they were to fight with and move up.

Nobumura turned to Kagome with hint of surprise in his eyes, "A brain behind the mask. Mmhm, you have caught on the purpose of this game."

Kagome shook her head, "Ne, Lord-san, I may understand how it work, but I fail to see the purpose of the whole match concepts." She gave a small smile.

Nobumura gave a loud laugh and turned to Kikuya, "She's amusing! Even for a human child, I've never seen a human with the brain of a youkai!"

Kikuya gave him a brilliant smile, "That's why she's my younger sister."

Nobumura turned back to Kagome and patted her hand, "Ah, ah, tell me, what do you think is the whole point of the match?"

Kagome tapped her finger on her chin as she thought, watching the blue samurai match up with the green one, his next opponent. "To prove the strength of the samurai, and I supposed, to receive a new title? If he moves up far in the matches, he would display skills and wisdom in warfare, thus earning him positions as he display himself to the lords? And at the same time, a gambling pleasure for those who watch… Though," She pointed out with her finger to the green samurai, "He's going to win in three moves…" She watched with silence and with her prediction, the green samurai indeed won victor in three moves. "I believe them to be the fools, showing off his techniques to the others, which could be his potential enemies in the audience."

Nobumura laughed and shook his head, "You are indeed right. You got eyes for this kind of things. I appreciate you, I like your thinking. Now, tell me, how many moves will the next samurai make?"

Kagome smiled at him and moved to sit next to him as he invited her to. During the next several hours, she bantered with Nobumura, giving him run of his money at the same time, melting his perspective of Geisha.

Kikuya noticed Kaida and Momo had come to the arena, searching for clients and attended them. She watched as Kaida noticed Kagome across the arena and her face was set in deep scowl. Kikuya knew Kaida wanted good clients with higher status and Kagome had gotten herself ahead, already wrapping Nobumura around her fingers. Nobumura was known to be one of the several potential clients that Geisha wanted to receive but couldn't. She smiled as she felt that her part of the job was done. Kagome was well on her way. She has two more clients she need to snatch before she moves on to the next part of her Geisha-hood.

As the time came to end, Kikuya stood and gestured for Kagome to follow. Lord Nobumura waved to Kikuya and said, "Kikuya! You may bring her again next time!" He grinned and turned back to watch the match.

Kikuya bowed and said, "Hai, my lord, I will be sure to do so. Come, Kagome, we need to attend to the teahouse now." Then they left the arena, hopping onto their waiting sedan. "Sadako, you've done a good job. I have two more clients for you to work your magic on."

"What for, big sister?" Kagome asked as she smoothed her kimono out.

"You need three clients to bid for you, one will bid the highest and you will give them your misusage and when that happens, you will become a full Geisha. We don't have much time before the youkai convention, time is against us and you have a lot to do before then."

Kagome tilted her head, "Misusage?"

"Ah, your virginity."

Kagome's eyes went wide and she looked out of the sedan, realizing what Kikuya wanted her to do. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go along and knew she had no choices. Sighing, she wondered who the next two clients would be. She could not bring herself to imagine herself giving to Nobumura, he seemed rather rough and had no gentle bone in him.

As she joined Kikuya in the teahouse, she was almost numb the whole night, dancing, singing and serving sake to many lords and daimyos. By dawn, she arrived home to the Okiya and was exhausted beyond reasons, she went straight to bed without bothering to remove her kimono or her make up. She slept though the day, not even caring if the sun shone on her through her Shoji.

She woke up late in the afternoon, disturbed by her dreams. She had dreamed of a white haired hanyou with red outfit, standing proud and strong with youthful face. There was also a kitsune cub, her heart ached slightly at the kitsune, he had green eyes, red hair and cheerful smile. There was also two other in her dreams, they were humans, a man, a monk in black and purple robe, he didn't appear to be holy, for he seemed to be a pervert and the woman, which she found strange, she wore suits that revealed her body shapes and carried around a large boomerang The dream was disturbing to her, flashes of actions here and there, they had talked and interacted with her, yet she could not make out their words or put names to their faces. She wondered as she woke up, was it a memory of her past or a trick of her mind?

That night, as she redressed and reapplied her make up, she went to another tea house with Kikuya and was introduced to another lesser lord, a tiger youkai whose name was Kanesho, he was a prince of a clan in the southern land and he appeared wild and young. Kagome had no problem winning him over, giving him jokes that he enjoyed and smart talks that made the others in the room ponders over her words of wisdom.

Kaida had shown up and by then, Kikuya had concluded that Kaida was actually trailing her, trying to disrupt the plan for Kagome. Kikuya had assured Kagome that the plan had not been disrupted because Kagome had won the other lords far enough to keep her name in positive and placing Kaida's name farther down in negative among the others.

"Do not worry about Kaida, the youkai lords are the one we need to focus on. They can smell Kaida, she smelled rather dirty to them and they found her offensive, no matter how pretty she looks. You on the other hand, they've told me that they find your scents pleasing and pure. Keep up with your daily bathing, it's important. You're doing a good job and you have a very natural talent." She smiled at Kagome, assuring her. Kagome accepted her words without doubts.

* * *

Kagome rolled around in her futon, sweat pouring from her forehead, sticking her long black hair that she had allowed to grow stick to her clammy skin. She groaned and gave out cries every so often. Suddenly she bolted up, panting, wide awake, the night kimono stuck to her body like second skin. She wiped her face clear with the damp sleeve and looked around, it was early afternoon.

It was the dream again, it kept coming to her little by little every night, it was almost as if she were living a second live through her dreams. They continued to be very vague, all she could grasp the faces of the people in her dream, but she could not grasp their names or recall the conversations that passed between them all. They were familiar to her, she often wondered if they were her family or something. Often, she would dream of fighting with different kind of lesser youkai, the battles were getting bloodier and difficult as the time progress.

The last dream frightened her, she had come face to face with a devious character, a rouge man in baboon pelt, he had a horrifying character of growing into odd shapes of tentacles, lashing out at her and the others. The battle was fierce and bloody. She had last seen a young man in red, with long silver hair getting impaled through the chest as he swung his sword down toward the baboon-pelt man. She had screamed and everything around her exploded in blindingly white light. That was it, the end of the dream of dreams.

She felt her rapid heartbeats slow down and she sighed. She wondered what had brought her dreams on. It started recently as the youkai from all over was gathering in for the convention. She thought long and hard as she sat on her futon, she recalled glimpse of a tall white and silver in the background, always seemingly to blend in the background, she had come to recognize the presence to belong to Lord SesshoMaru and wondered if she had subconsciously placed the man in her dream for comfort or he was actually there in her memory.

Shaking her head, she decided to get up and get ready for the evening, it was no point in trying to go back to sleep. She did not want to encounter any more strange dreams. She quickly moved about her tiny room, washing her skin off the sweats and applying the light delicate perfume to her body and dressing herself in kimono. Auntie had heard her shuffling around and came up to help her tie her kimono without questions. Soon, Kagome was fully dressed and she applied small amount of make up to her face and allowed Auntie pull her hair in simple but elaborate style.

Kagome stepped out of the okiya and shielded her eyes from the blinding afternoon sun and sighed. She walked down the street, might as well go to a tea house and start do her duty as a Geisha in training. Kikuya had told her that she was welcome to attend to one of the few tea houses that preferred for her to attend at any time without Kikuya if she happened to want to.

As she deftly walked across the cobblestone street in her geta shoes, it was difficult at first she recalled and now, she had picked up the tricks and is now walking with skilled grace. Suddenly, Kikuya had joined her side and was walking along with her. "You are awake early." The older geisha commented as she kept pace with Kagome.

"Couldn't go back to sleep. Had strange dreams lately. Figured I'd go ahead and go to the tea houses before I join up with you tonight." Kagome replied, smiling at her tutor.

Kikuya smiled back and held her hand onto Kagome's arm, stopping her. "Come on, we got some time. I want to see how you are after all the training I've put into you." Kagome turned to her mentor and gave an inquiring look. Kikuya laughed. "Consider it a fun challenge. I've not had so much fun since you came under my wing. Now, pick a male in the street here." She gestured with her arm to the open court in the center of the district. It was a large crossroad with a small park in the center, a bridge crossing over a small river from a large koi pond to another on the other side. Sakura trees lined the area tastefully. There were several vendors at each corner, selling ice snacks, silks and flowers.

Kagome searched the place for a victim and saw a unsuspecting youkai in deep blue kimono walking. He would come to pass them soon. She tilted her head to Kikuya, "The monkey youkai in blue." She whispered.

Kikuya grinned and stood there, she simply did nothing but gave him a glance, watching him walk past them. He turned his head and bowed his head to them, grinning. He kept walking past them and nearly toppled over a loose stone in the street. He turned his attention away from them, red dusting his face.

Kagome giggled as Kikuya waved at him and turned back to her young ward, "See. Now, it's your turn." She glanced around and noticed a youkai walking toward them, soon to come past them. "The one in gray."

Kagome's eyebrow rose and she moved to stand beside Kikuya on the other side and bowed her head, giving a shy coy look. She waited until the unsuspecting youkai come past her. As he came past her, he came very close and slowed down, noticing her looking up at him with innocent look. He almost paused but kept going, taking a deep breath of her scent that she emitted from her self, for he was a wolf youkai and he found her scents sweet. He kept his eyes locked at her as she stood there, watching him.

Little the youkai knew, he was walking right into disaster zone. An oncoming sedan from the other street came running toward him. The runner of the sedan gasped and yelled at him to watch out. The poor wolf youkai suddenly turned and yelped, and it was too late, the runner came crashing into him, causing the sedan to topple. The sedan fell sideway into several boxes that was sitting on the side of the street, causing several peaches and plums to spill all over the street. An indignant yell came from the sedan.

Kagome gasped as she realized Kaida was in the sedan and was sprawled on the ground, looking worse to wear. Kikuya covered her mouth as she giggled hard. She turned and walked away, not wanting for Kaida to realize she was the one who caused the crash. Kikuya followed her, giggling all the way and handed a peach to Kagome, "that was good. If a woman's look could cause so much trouble like that, she's very good also devious."

Kagome took the peach and shook her head. "I never intended for that to happen!" She bit hard into the sweet peach, ignoring the giggling Kikuya as they headed to the tea house together.

Evening rolled around and the two left their afternoon tea house to attend to a gathering at another larger tea house where most lords would attend. Kagome hoped for SesshoMaru-sama to attend and wondered if he would be there. Kikuya handed a pink small box with sweet bun inside, "Here, go and give this to Lord Kanesho." She gestured to the tiger youkai across the court garden at the large tea house.

"What is this?" Kagome asked as she took the box.

"The box represent that your misusage is up for bid. You will give to three lords tonight and soon, they will bid for you. If they accept, then, they accept the bidding war for you." Kikuya explained and shoved Kagome gently toward the tiger lord.

As she approached the young tiger lord, she smiled at him coyly and stood by him. "How is your evening so far, lord Kanesho?" She asked quietly, keeping the box hidden within her sleeves, waiting for the right opportunity.

Lord Kanesho turned to her and gave friendly smile, "Ah, Sadako, it's nice to see you again. I've been missing your presence in the tea house of late."

Kagome bowed her head in shyness as her cheek pinked slightly. "You're too kind. Perhaps I should see you more often this week if you attend the Rose Tea House."

"I should keep that in mind, is that where you are frequently found?" He asked as he turned full attention to her. She gave a single nod and stepped closer to him, allowing her body language flirt with the tiger youkai. He started to trail his claw across her face, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Then, I should make my plan to see you this week. I've enjoyed your company in the past, you're rather good for a human geisha."

"Oh, I'm quite not a geisha yet." Kagome said softly and pushed the box into his unsuspecting hand, unseen by anyone. He glanced down quickly and his eyes went wide for a moment. He then gave a nod and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "I see, I should make sure I win to have you, even for just one night."

Kagome blushed and moved away, "Thank you, my Lord." She bowed and turned away from him and joined Kikuya's side. "He accepted." She said with blank voice.

Kikuya noticed this and frowned slightly, "Sadako, a geisha is not allowed to choose whatever she wants, she is nothing but a tool to entertain the men. She cannot love, cannot express her opinions or choose whatever she desires."

"I know." Kagome said with hint of surliness. She felt another box landing in her hand and Kikuya turned her around, "Now, Lord Nobumura." The older geisha pushed Kagome into the direction of the next lord gently.

Kagome sighed and went over the older scarred wolf lord. "Lord Nobumura, it's nice to see you again."

Nobumura gave a critical eyes and soon softened as he recognized Kagome. "Sadako." He said.

Kagome bowed her head and pushed the box into his hand discreetly and smiled softly at him. "I hope you accept." She said softly.

Nobumura glanced down to notice a pink box in his hand and he gave a single nod. He was not one for formality and turned back to the other lords he was in conversation with, tucking the box into his haori, accepting her proposal.

Kagome returned to Kikuya, "He accepted without questions."

"Good, he's not one for all the craps." Kikuya said and placed the last box in her ward's hand. "Now, my Danna." She said gesturing to Lord Wastunobo across the court from them.

"But!" Kagome started, surprised. "He is your danna."

"He is, but he does hire other Geisha and associate with them. He has taken a quiet liking to you. Go on."

Kagome paused and noticed Lord Wastunobo with someone she had been looking forward to see again, Lord SesshoMaru. She gasped softly and turned to Kikuya, "Can I give this to someone else?"  
Kikuya gave a confused look, "What? Who?"  
"SesshoMaru-sama." Kagome whispered.

The older Geisha narrowed her eyes. "No. Wastunobo is expecting you to hand him the box tonight. Remember what I said earlier."

Kagome bowed her head, "Hai. I cannot have what I want." She said and turned, heading to where the two youkai stood on the far end of the court, talking to one another and with several other lords surrounding them.

She approached the older youkai and touched his arm to get his attention. "Lord Wastunobo." She said softly, getting his attention.

The older youkai blinked and noticed her. He nodded and excused himself from the other lords and walked short way from the group with Kagome. "How are you faring tonight, Sadako?" He asked.

Kagome kept her head bowed. "Good, busy as usual. Will you attend the Rose Tea House later tonight?"

"Of course, my sweet sakura. I enjoy your dances and sweet voices." He said as they stopped on the top of the small bridge in the garden. She turned to him and placed the pink box onto the ledge of the bridge. "Ah." He said as he noticed the box and took it, "I see." He said simply and tucked the box in his haori. "I am not one to accept a human, but Kikuya say you are rather unique, I'd like to see if she is right, for I never turn down a challenge." He bowed and turned, leaving Kagome alone on the bridge.

Lord SesshoMaru had noticed Kagome as he arrived to the gathering, he had decided to come a few days before Kagome's first debut. He watched her from the distance, talking with Kikuya and attending to several Lords before approaching Wastunobo. He was rather curious why she would be flitting from one to another. As he watched Wastunobo excuse himself to walk with Kagome to the bridge. He noticed she placed the pink box on the bridge's ledge. He suddenly realized and saw red. He did not like what he saw. He watched Wastunobo accept the box without much words and left her standing on the bridge. He kept on watching Kagome, studying her and noticed she appeared a bit distressed.

Deciding to confront Kikuya, he found her and went to her, grasping the geisha's arm a bit tightly. Kikuya gasped and was led away from the gathering by the stoic Taiyuan into a private secluded corner.

"What was that?" SesshoMaru asked, his voice gave no room for nonsenses.

Kikuya sighed, "Orchestrating a bidding war for Sadako's misusage."

"I pay for her tutoring and everything else and did not give a permission." SesshoMaru said icily.

"Oh, you know the procedure, one cannot become a Geisha without going through the final stage. She will be given to the winner the night after her debut. If she does not go through the procedure and is named Geisha, she will be shamed before others."

SesshoMaru growled softly. "Then, who is in the charge of the bidding war?"

Kikuya rolled her eyes and smirked, "Really, if I had one more box for her to give out, she would give it to you in a heartbeat. Contact Crabsan, he will accept your bidding, all you have to give him her name, Sadako and the price. I know for sure the others will bid a high price."

"You forget, I am the Taiyoukai, the others are just mere lesser lords." SesshoMaru said dangerously and walked away, leaving Kikuya alone.

"What are you really planning with Sadako?" Kikuya asked as she watched the lord disappear.

* * *


	5. Song of Water

- Song of Water -

* * *

"My Lord! You're returning to the city again, aren't you?" Jaken asked as they stood on the end of the road that leads to the city.

"Take Rin back to the palace. Keep eye on her, I will not return for a while."

Rin looked up to SesshoMaru, "SesshoMaru-Sama, why do you have to go there? Why can't I go there too?"

SesshoMaru turned to Rin, he rested his hand on her head, "I have business in the city that will take a while. It is not a place for a woman to be, or a girl either."

Rin's wide doe eyes shone, "I'll miss you."

"And I you, my daughter." He murmured as he allowed Rin hug him. He stepped back, letting Rin go. He watched the young girl retreat to the two headed dragon and gave a pointed glance to Jaken. He turned and headed toward the city while the others went back to the West.

It was almost evening; it was the night of Kagome's debut. As he had learned about the bidding war for her misusage, he was rather upset and tracked down this Crabsan and paid handsomely into the bidding war. He steered himself to one of the largest building, the theater in the district and saw that it was quickly filling up. He stepped in and was quickly shown way to the front table reserved for the four greater lords of the lands. He felt his haori as he sat down, feeling small hard object in his shirt, satisfied that the gift was still there, he would be giving the gift to Kagome as she finish her debut.

In past several weeks, after discovering Kagome in Hiaga Sakurai District after one year of missing, he found himself developing strange feelings, new emotions and such. It had come to him to realize that he did wanted Kagome for himself, wanted to keep her safe. When he had learned that she has no memory of the past, he felt that there was something amiss and he was the only one who knew of this. He was rather surprised that no one had come looking for her after she had disappeared over a year ago.

She disappeared along with her friends after battling Naraku. He had heard rumors on the wind that Naraku was vanquished and the group that had battled him were all dead as well. He went to investigate, assuming that it was a chance for him to retrieve his father's sword. When he had reached to the field where they were last seen and heard and found practically nothing save for a sword. When nothing was meant that the entire area, once was a forest was flattened in radial burst, spreading outward, everything in it's path was either purified or destroyed to nothing. Tessaiga stood in the center, stuck in the ground where it had struck Naraku. He could not take the sword, for the blasted protection were still upon it.

Scatters of ashes were remained in the field, the ashes belonged to his brother and Naraku. He was surprised to learn his brother was dead. It had hit him rather very hard to learn of this fact. He had always believed that he would be the one to kill his brother but now, he realized, he begin to feel a strange feeling where he wished his brother wasn't dead. He felt remorse the most of all, remorse of not ever bonding with InuYasha, never will be able to fight him or taunt him ever again. It left him feeling empty.

He had searched for InuYasha's companions and found no traces of them. It was either they were blasted away from the battlefield, or also disappeared from the place as well. He could not conclude this. Though, he was able to track Kagome's scent down and found it ending in one spot and stopping there, near the road that lead to the city itself. There were other scents that covered the place where her scent ended, it was as almost as if she disappeared and her scents were covered, faded away as the others came and went over the spot.

The rumors of the Shikon no Tama faded away as well. It had became nothing more than a legend, even in one year. No one were able to find it, or knew where it had went. He had figured that wherever the Shikon no Tama is, is with wherever Kagome is.

Now he had found her, without any trace of memories and without trace of Shikon No Tama. It was almost as it never existed. It had puzzled him to no end. She was a small part of his life, in fact, a big part of the small part. After finding her, he could not bring himself to let her go, but rather, to keep her close by all the time, to keep the part of his life forever. But the tricky thing is, she's is on her way becoming a Geisha and there was no way for him to take her from such life after seeing that she is imprinted in the lifestyle now. It would destroy her honor, destroy whoever she had worked hard to build in the past year.

Then again, the Geisha training she has been receiving gave him a merit. But that was something else to come in the future. He held the small object in his hand, he had bought this object on an impulse, without a second thought and after he had it, he realized, he had intended to give it to her, as one would be courting a female. It did not turn his thought but he intend to see it through. For the first time in his life, he wanted something so bad more than his father's swords and he is going to get it. His beast wanted it, his rational side wanted it, his irrational side wanted it and darn it, he is going to get it no matter what. It will benefit him in every way. He smirked to himself, ready to watch her performance. If her first dance performance was good, she's definitely going to be good tonight as well.

The light dimmed in the grand room and the stage lit up. The audience gasped and whispered as they noticed the stage was created into a shallow pool of black, the water shimmered with reflection of silver from the lights. The backdrop was deep blue with specks of lights shining through the curtains, creating illusion of a night sky. A large white orb rose behind the sheer blue curtain, giving image of the rising moon. The song began, soft and melodious, the soft strumming of the shamisen, the fluttering sound of the bamboo flutes filled the air.

The audience grew quiet as the moon stopped, almost three-quarter off the stage and the curtain parted to it's right, revealing a deep red background behind. The light glowed, giving the redness off and she came up, slowly rising onto the stage from behind. Her pose were still, her long ebony hair ironed straight hung down her back, yet part of her hair from the front were pulled up and tied back to keep free from her white painted face. Her eyes were outlined thickly in deep black like her hair and her lips were simply painted red.

Her kimono was pure white, like her face and she wore deep red obi that were wrapped around her waist and hanging down in train from the back. As she moved across, gracefully as her feet allowed her, she lifted her head slowly, revealing her face in it's pureness. The audience gasped softly as they felt powerful aura radiated from her. The music started to pick up speed, adding in some drumming tempo. She moved her arms in graceful arch, swaying and moving, like the gentle wave of the ocean. Her sleeves had waves of blues, in different shades, giving illusion of water. Her body started to move along with her arms, dancing, swirling and swaying. Her feet touched the surface of the water ever so gently, yet the water shook with force of her power that radiated from her.

The music became louder and faster, her arms moved and suddenly, the water around her feet, as she danced across the shallow pool rose, splashing upward and her aura shaped around the water, causing it to dance along with her body. Her arms moved and the water followed in shimmering arches, swirling around her body, yet she did not get wet.

The tempo of the music became faster and faster and she moved with precise timing, bringing the water around her, shaping and swaying, splashing and shimmering in the lights. Then with sudden drop of the music to silent, she dropped to the pool, the water immediately became still once again, like glass.

Breaths were held, eyes were wide for a long moment as she knelt in her place. The light faded away from the stage, leaving one spot light to shine on her in soft white glow, making her look like an ethereal angel. She rose her head and opened her eyes, revealing brilliant blue. The audience exhaled and rose in thundering applause.

The light faded away and she disappeared from the stage, retreating to the back. SesshoMaru found himself applauding with the audience. He had found her performance astounding and was surprised, rather deeply shocked to feel her Miko aura rise to life again. He wondered when it had returned because when he had first met her, she was almost dead, no power or anything.

He sat there, wondering how her power has come to life and realized as he sensed it for the first time in a long time. The Shikon No Tama was present in the room and was flaring with life. He searched the room full of lords, youkais and humans. Finally, he pinpointed the location and rose from his table, stalking silently toward the holder of the jewel.

When he reached the table of a lesser lord from the south and bent down to whisper in a tiger youkai's ear, "Join me, I need to speak to you."

The tiger youkai frowned and looked up. His eyes went wide as he recognized SesshoMaru and rose from his table. He followed SesshoMaru to a private corner.

"Hand the jewel over." SesshoMaru said coolly, glaring at the tiger youkai.

"What?"

"Don't play me for a fool. The jewel does not belong to you."

"It does not belong to you either." The tiger youkai said, unaware he had forfeited his life by saying so.

SesshoMaru narrowed his eyes and growled, "I am aware of that. I know who it does belong to. The jewel hold a person's soul and I intend to return the soul to the person. Hand it over or you forfeit your life right here and now."

The tiger youkai swallowed hard and pulled half of the Shikon No Tama. He gasped as he saw the glowing pink crystal. "It wasn't like this before! I found it in the field on the way here over a year ago. It was just a trinket, a simple glass!"

SesshoMaru deftly plucked it out of the tiger youkai's hand. "It is none of your business. Go." He said with a undertone that warned the tiger. He watched as the lesser lord skitter off. He glanced at the jewel and realized, the reason why no one was able to find it or sense it was because the power was torn apart, causing to be almost dead. Now with it being in close proximity to Kagome, it is starting to heal and recover and the girl had no idea.

He made his way to the backstage, searching among the crowd of performers and found her sitting before a mirror, wiping the white make up from her face. He went to her side and stood behind her. She gasped as she saw his reflection in the glass and stood up, facing him. She gave a quick bow. "Lord SesshoMaru, I have not expected to see you!" She said.

He gave a small smile, unnoticed by anyone but her. "Astounding performance. The trick with the water was surprising."

Kagome blushed and looked away shyly. "I have not intended for that to happen."

"Still, congratulation for winning the audience. It is rather unique and fascinating." He reached in his haori and took out the object and handed it to her. She gasped as she took it, it was a jade comb, small in her hand, yet the carving of sakura and mangola flowers along the edge was intricate and beautiful. She inspected it and looked up to her, her eyes wide. She was about to thank him but he stopped her with fingers to her lips and took the comb, he placed it in her soft wax-free hair. "Beautiful." He said simply.

"Thank you." She whispered and cast her eyes downward and he felt hint of sadness emitting from her.

He frowned and took her chin in his hand, rising her face to meet his eyes. "Why so sad?" She shook her head and broke free from his touch. He was about to pressure but was interrupted as Kikuya joined their sides, clapping her hands.

"Wonderful performance. You won everyone tonight. Kaida was also here and she's seething mad!" Kikuya giggled and turned to the InuYoukai, "SesshoMaru-Sama! I did not expect you here tonight."

SesshoMaru gave a soft growl to her, "You know fully well I had intended to attend. Don't play coyly with me."

Kikuya feigned innocent and then dropped her act, rolling her eyes, "Oh very well. Now, shoo, I got to get Sadako ready. She will join your table tonight." She said, waving her hands to shoo SesshoMaru away. He growled at her again and stalked off.

The evening wore on and finally ended. Kagome had trudged herself home to the okiya and got out of her kimono. Her legs were aching and she felt exhausted, she wanted to crawl in bed and sleep all day the next day, or rather, the entire week. But she wasn't the only one who were still awake. The entire occupants in the okiya and Kikuya was also awake, all of them waiting in Okasan's office. She brought herself down and joined everyone else at the table, drinking tea.

Kaida looked livid as she stood against the wall on the far end of the room. Momo looked about to pass out, she was also tired as well. Kikuya grinned as she glanced to Kagome and Okasan. It was an success tonight at the debut performance.

Knocks shook them awake fully and Momo ran to the door to receive a sealed scroll. She thanked the messenger and handed him some coins. She returned to the office and handed the scroll to Kikuya.

Kagome's eyes went wide as she realized it was the result of the bidding for her misusage. She held her breath as Kikuya broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. Kikuya's eyes went wide and she grinned. "My, my... this is not what I expected... well, I've expected this." She murmured.

"Well, what does it say, who won and how much?" Okasan asked impatiently.

Kikuya smirked and handed the scroll to Okasan. "She won double amount that I was paid for years ago."

Everyone gasped, for no one had ever beat Kikuya's price in over several hundred of years. Kaida grew red and stomped, "Impossible!"

Okasan gasped, "Oh my!" Then the scroll was snatched from her hand by the furious geisha.

Kaida read the scroll and screamed, "What? How did this happen! He wasn't a nominated bidder!" She threw down the scroll and stomped out of the room in rage.

Kagome reached out for the scroll and read it. "SesshoMaru-Sama?"

Momo gasped along with Auntie. "Oh my goodness! SesshoMaru-Sama!? He does not even like Geisha, let alone a human! And he bidded for you!"

Kagome turned to Kikuya and asked, "How? I did not give him the box."

Kikuya shrugged, "He found out and went ahead to bid as well." She leaned down and whispered in her ear, "At least you get what you wanted, just for one night." She winked and clapped Kagome's shoulder. "Good night." She stood up and left.

* * *


	6. Water’s Rhapsody

- Water's Rhapsody -

* * *

SesshoMaru entered his estate, letting his mask slip, sighing with tiredness. Despite of being an immortal youkai lord, the meeting had been brutal and taxing on his status. He rather to be out, patrolling his land, wasting his energy maiming unwanted visitor off his land and disposing threatening army of human.

He was glad the convention was only taken place every decade for short time. The InuYoukai hold their own every century but it was required for nearly all lords to gather to such convention every decade and in their human form because nearly a third of the lords are humans as well and they had shorter life span. He wasn't sure how long the convention would last this time; it looked like it would take several months, thanks to some idiot lesser lords.

He walked through the hall of his estate, intending to head to his bedroom and get some few hours rest before starting the day all over again tomorrow. The estate was dark, few lanterns were lit here and there, just enough to illuminate anyone's way through the place in the night. Jaken was still at his western palace, tending to the palace and watching over Rin. He had few servants in the estate, to keep the place for him while he was away.

He stopped, his mask immediately slipped on as he noticed his trusted estate retainer bowing to him outside his bedroom door. "Huro, is there anything matter?"

"No, my lord," Huro, his okami-youkai retainer replied, standing straight up. He had grey hair and wise ancient look to his feature. "She is waiting for you in your room." He said with a small gesture to his door.

SesshoMaru gave a slight frown, "What?"  
"The Maiko, the one you had bidded on." Huro gave a bow and silently left, leaving SesshoMaru to face his door.

He blinked once and then twice, his brain started to scramble for any information that he might had missed. He recalled requesting to bid on Sadako, so she wouldn't be touched by any others. Remembering and realizing, he had forgotten the piece of information that he had won and had every right to her for one night. He dragged his hand over his face and steeled his resolve. It was not his nature to bed any women, youkai or not. It was youthful thing and he wasn't young, but a mature lord with honor. He had vowed that he would not bed a woman unless she was worthy of him, a worthy mate.

His hand on the shoji door, he took a deep breath and took the scent that lingered on the air that he had missed earlier. The scent was of cherry blossom, sweet and gentle, clean and with very faint human base scent. It was her, Sadako, or rather, Kagome.

He remembered meeting her for the first time, her defiant look when he had insulted his half-brother, remembering her senseless courage and the fire within her blue eyes. She was noteworthy back then, even now as a Maiko. The fire was still in her eyes, hidden beneath the form of water.

Now, she was in his room, waiting for him to come in and have his right with her that night. Lost in between to turn her away or let her stay the night. He recalled that turning a Mikado away was dishonorable to her, not granting her passage to become a Geisha. Disgusted that they had to go through such process to become one, he shook his head. He had only intended to save her honor as a woman, to remain pure as she is. She was far more valuable pure, for her power of miko rely solely on her purity.

Perhaps, he could talk her out of it, see if she would consent to remain pure and keep her maidenhood. He would discuss with Kikuya the next day to allow her skip such ritual. With steeled determination, he slid his door open and stepped into his bedroom.

There she was, kneeled on a tatami mat in the center of the room, not far from the bed. Her head was bowed and her hands were splayed on the floor in demure gesture. He noted that she was wearing thin kimono. She sat back and rose gracefully that he almost didn't notice her rising.

He was a male and he couldn't deny how she looked at the moment, so precious and at the same time, seductive. The kimono she was wearing was deep shade of red, so thin that it was almost see through. The moon light from the open window behind her illuminated her form, showing her delicate feminine curves. He almost forgot what he had intended to do for her that moment.

"Sadako." He said as he stepped into the bedroom and turning to the door, "I do not intend to take you tonight."

Her Noh mask nearly slipped but her voice was soft, unwavering, "My lord, you paid your right to have me tonight, and I am yours for tonight."

SesshoMaru closed his eyes, allowing his mask slip for the first time, revealing his true face, tired and worn, "Sadako… Kagome, I paid a high price to keep your purity. Your purity is priceless that no one should have it."  
Kagome lowered her head, allowing her face become shadowed in the dark room. "I am a Maiko, becoming a Geisha; I am not allowed such things. Not even dreams or feelings. My sole duty is to entertain men with arts."

SesshoMaru stepped toward her and tilted her chin up so she'd meet his eyes, "Kagome, you are not born to be a Geisha, you are a free spirit, and you deserve to have dreams, wishes and life. That is the fire I see in your eyes."  
A tear leaked free from the corner of her eyes, "My lord, if may I speak freely?"

He nodded, "In the private with my presence, be freely with me."

She gave a small smile, "I did this, just to see you again, to be near you. You're the only one that makes me feel that I can dream. You gave me my name back; you have the key to my past. Don't you?"  
SesshoMaru's finger crept up her jaw, tracing the softness of her skin, "Hai, I know who you are in the past and it would please me to see you regain your essence."

"As a water, always moving, changing, formless, I change in life, my past is lost to me as my memory is, but, isn't my essence always the same?" She asked, softly, relishing in the feeling of his fingers tracing her skin of her face and neck, brushing her soft hair back. The tingles were tangible, making her nerves dance.

"True. Despite your memory loss, your essence was always there. Do you feel this?" He asked as he caressed her cheek once again.

Kagome gasped softly as she felt sparks tingling between her skin and the pad of his fingers.

"You're a Miko, and I am a youkai. I shouldn't be able to touch you but your Miko aura embraces my youkai. Tell me why this is?" He asked as he kept caressing the bare of her skin where it was exposed.

Kagome stared into his eyes, glowing in the darkness of the room, "I do not know, perhaps… You are familiar to me and I feel no threat from you?"  
SesshoMaru withdrew his hand, leaving her feeling alone. "That is not the case…" He stepped away and turned away from her, sliding his haori off and kicking his boots off as well, leaving him in his hakama and under shirt, open to expose his muscular chest. "What are we to do with you being here? You've made it clear you wanted to be here."

Kagome turned to him, still standing with her hands folded in front of her. "You've given me choices, a privilege I am not to have. I chose to give myself to you tonight, if you will have me."

SesshoMaru turned to her, meeting her blue eyes, it had dawned in him, and she was the one. He had always thought of her unique and somewhat a person worthy of his respect. She had always endlessly mystified him. She is a Miko, a forbidden fruit, countless times over, he could had been purified to hell for every touch he brushed on her skin and yet was left with tingling that left him feeling wanting for more. He thrives in danger and having her is the essence of danger.

"Do you realize, giving yourself to me, you are forfeiting your life to me for the rest of your life?"  
She gasped softly, "My lord that is not expected."

He stepped back to her and drew his hand around her slim waist, bringing her body flush to his own, "formality put aside, call me by my name. We shall have tonight and we will see where we go from here, but know this, after tonight, our path will not ever separate. You are mine, mine alone."

She stared up into his face, the breeze gushed around the room, swirling his silver hair about him, almost embracing her as well. She raised her hands and splayed them on his chest; she realized then that she was shaking. "I'm…"

"Shh," He laid a finger on her lips, "I see it in your eyes you desire me. Tell me what you see in my eyes…" His golden gaze bore into her and she searched and saw what she wanted to see, he wanted her, accepted her and in the depth, cared for her. "Youkai do not express feelings with words like humans do, but do not be fooled for the eyes tell the truth. You and I are skillful with masks but always, the eyes, mine being fire and yours being water, the truth is there."

Afraid to utter a word, she gave a single nod.

"As I said, formality aside, as well tradition. It is not only my night of pleasure but yours as well." He murmured as he lowered his head to brush his lips against her, drawing a soft gasp from her throat.

His arm still wrapped around her waist, he used his free hand, traveling down her arm, feeling her quaver, the silk was soft and smooth, he knew her skin would be much more softer for her curves against his body was already delicious. He growled softly into the crook of her throat.

Her hands, still on his chest, started to make its hesitant journey of exploration across the vast expanse of hard muscle and silky skin. She felt his nimble claw untie the belt around her lithe waist and her hands reached up to slip the top off, allowing it to fall behind him. Little she realized, he had drew her back toward his western style bed and soon, their silks were left forgotten on the floor as their flesh met flesh.

As her body hit the bed, she stared up at him as he withdrew from exploring her body; she was shaking so much that she couldn't contain herself. He hovered above her, careful to not crush her petite frame under his large one. Fear was evident in her eyes along with longing. He saw it and caressed her face, "Do you trust me?" He asked. She nodded and he tapped her chin, "Then, what is it?"

Shaking her head slightly, "First time, I hear it is painful and not pleasurable." It was true in most case but Kaida had told her and Momo how it was utterly painful and discomfort that left fears in her heart.

SesshoMaru moved to lay his body between her legs; he could feel her quavering underneath him and found it sweet. "That is true, but it doesn't have to be discomforting, I promise you this, the pain will be swift and you will not even remember afterward." He leaned down, taking her sweet lips and ravished her mouth alone, making the desire in her belly burn.

SesshoMaru, having taken women to bed ages ago before he took the title of lordship found the coupling with Kagome the most exotic and sensual, for her inexperience was sweet and she was a fruit he had never tasted and it had left him wanting more. It was his only intent that moment giving her pleasure and lesson in giving one. She was willing and eager and that had turned him on even more. His exploration of her sweet body had brought her to peak several times before he had allowed himself to succumb for his own.

Kagome, recalling how Kaida told her and Momo about the first time that caused rousing fear was soon dashed away when he brought pleasure to her body even before taking her. When it came to the moment, she had no time to cry out, the pain was swift and he was quick as he promised, stilling as he waited for her to adjust to the feeling of being joined. Then, he brought her to peak once again, the first was slow, then the tempo build up more and more, leaving her wanting more. She was utterly exhausted by the fifth time when he finally collapsed upon her. She had never realized how her body had reacted to his and it was very delicious and she was very glad that he was the one who took her virginity.

She supposed if the other had won the bet, it would have been uncomfortable. He was tender and kind to her, respecting her first time, giving her pleasure that no other woman would ever know from him and that made her feel like a goddess, right in his bed.

She had found comfort in his weight on her body, feeling warmth and security in his arms, sheltered from the world around them. She waited for her shaking to subside; she thought she would never stop shaking or ever regain her strength. He had rolled to his side, his arm still draped over her waist.

After a long while, she reluctantly rose from the bed, stirring the bed slightly and carefully slides off the bed, to not wake the Lord. Little she knows that he wasn't asleep but simply resting beside her, enjoying her presence and scents.

"Where are you going?" He asked softly, not to startle her.

She turned to him and bowed her head, "I must return to the Okiya, my lord." She blushed under his intense gaze; she was standing at the edge of the bed, naked.

He smirked as he saw her skin deepen with rouge and sat up, "You didn't mind casting aside formality and tradition when we coupled, and you've used my name over and over." He saw her darkening more and he saw he liked it when the top of her breasts, heaving softly with her breath, go pale to crimson to the top of her neck and her cheeks became robust. She was trying to cover herself with her arms discreetly. Reaching out, he grasped her arms and drew her back to the bed, lying her down. "Stay for the night, I am not quiet done with you. Didn't I say you're mine?"

She found herself in his arms once again; he was slowly mapping her body with his hands. "Hai…" Her eyes closed as he brought her body to tingling peak, it was amazing as she thought, the sparks between them was intense, making every fiber of her being tingles. She figured he felt the same when she had explored his body boldly.

He raised his head from her neck, "You are mine, to the end of the time." He whispered, seeing her shiver as her lapis eyes met with his gold, "I haven't marked you just yet, I needed you to return to the Okiya. Until the end of the convention, I am your Danna. You will only attend to me and after that, you will return to my home in the west."  
"SesshoMaru… What am I to be, when I go with you?" She asked, her fingers playing across the plane of his back.

"My mate, my Lady of the West, which is when I will mark you as mine. Your life will join with mine and we will be bonded for eternity." He saw the unbidden question in her face, "You are uncertain."  
"Hai, it's so much to take in. I do not deserve to be in any court, I'm a simple girl, no royalty in my blood, and I'm not even a youkai but a simple human. I do not deserve to be by your side. I am nothing but a Geisha and that will dishonor you."

SesshoMaru chuckled, "You are right, you do not deserve such so, but you will be. No one will know of your being a Geisha because once you become my mate, you will receive a new name."

"New name?"

"Hai, a name fitting for a Lady of the West. Your name, real name, Kagome, is for me alone to call you."

She smiled and blushed, "That sound good. What will be my name then?"

He poked her nose with his claw. "I must think about it for a while, it has to be a good name for you."

"What would other think if I am your mate?" She asked, now tracing his maroon stripes on his body.

"I do not care for other's thoughts. To worry and concern what the other think is a weakness. If the other object, they will have to deal with me." He rolled to his side and sat up, glancing down at her.

Sitting up as well, "Won't I make you weak?"

He chuckled, "No… your being here with me just made me even more powerful… I must take you somewhere in few days, and you will see. I have finally now able to answer my own father's question a long time ago before he died." He pulled her up to straddle him, "Let's not dwell on those thoughts now, save it for appropriate time." He smirked as he drew her down to repeat performance, enjoying the tingles their bodies made upon contact.

Morning came, Kagome was surprised to find she wasn't very tired, but instead as if she had rested very well though the night, despite he had brought her to pleasure many times over through the night. She recalled that even she brought him to peak several times as well, it made her smile.

She sat up and saw that he was already up, only wearing a robe over his body, knowing he had nothing else underneath made her blush. He was beautiful in every aspect, the way he moved and the way he talked and for him to choose her still baffled her.

The door slid open and a female voice called, "SesshoMaru-sama!" She quickly composted a Noh mask upon her face to hide the surprise and recognition upon the woman entering the bedroom.

SesshoMaru turned to find Kikuya stepping into his room. He growled softly at her, reprimanding her for invading his private time. "Kikuya, what brings you here?"

"I just wanted to check upon my cousin, can't I?"

Kagome had to refrain from gasping when she heard Kikuya referring SesshoMaru as cousin and stood up from the bed, letting the silk sheet slide off her body. It was no shame for another woman to see her body but her body was for one man, and that was SesshoMaru.

Kikuya turned her head to the bed as she saw the movement and her eyes widened slightly, "Oh, she's still here? You know she should have been back to her Okiya last night after you were done with her." She admonished her cousin lightly.

SesshoMaru snorted, "That is not necessary, beside; I was just done with her now." He kept himself from smirking as he saw his cousin gaped and Kagome blush deeper red. "She will return shortly after she had her breakfast." He turned to her, "Sadako, Huro will lead you to the dining room, I will join you shortly."

Kagome recognized the tone of his voice and bowed after she had slipped a kimono on. He had called her by her Geisha name and understood, her name was only for him to call her in personal private and it had given her chills, knowing she could call him by his name informally in private as well. She made her way around Kikuya and found Huro waiting outside the door to lead her to the dining room.

Kikuya settled herself down on the corner of the bed, watching SesshoMaru get dressed, "Kura Kana had been concerned that she didn't return last night and assumed she had run away. I'm glad to find she had not. Why did you keep her for the rest of the night, you know Geisha are not allowed to have freedom of choices."

SesshoMaru nodded slightly as he finished tying his sash, "I am aware of that. She will no longer be a Geisha after the convention. From last night to the end of the convention, I will be her Danna, she will only report and attend to me, no one else. After that, she is to return to the Western Land with me."

Kikuya stood up, "What do you mean? Do you know it would cost to buy her off?"

He smirked as he went to his door, turning her to gesture her out of his room, "I am prepared to buy her off at the price higher than I had paid for her. She will return to the Western Land and become my mate."

Kikuya's smile slowly crept on her face, "Ooh, I see now why you requested her. You wanted her from the beginning and all the training she receive for a Geisha was just the surface, preparing her the way to become a Lady, isn't that so?"

"Hai." He led her down the hall away from his room to the dining room, finding Kagome waiting for him, her food untouched and realized he was the lord and in the house, no one is to eat unless the Lord takes the first bite at every meal. He sat down and took a sip from his tea, giving Kagome a signal to eat.

Kikuya joined at the table, sitting on SesshoMaru's other side, "You're wrong here, the training of Geisha is different from being a Lady."  
"I am aware of that." SesshoMaru growled softly, "Geisha skills will prove to be useful in the future. I am going to hire someone to train her the way of the Lady soon. She will learn quickly." He turned to Kagome and tilted his head, "Is the food acceptable for you?"

Kagome, having heard some of the conversation between Kikuya and him, nodded, "Hai, the food is very good, delicious. Thank you, my Lord."

Kikuya shook her head and rose from her seat, "I wish you luck, SesshoMaru-sama." Then she was gone.

Kagome looked up to SesshoMaru, her eyes questioning as she waited for his permission to speak freely. She saw him nod and asked, "She is upset that I am not going to remain a Geisha for a long time?"

SesshoMaru gave another nod, "Hai, her plan for you would have given her profit, immensurable one." He turned his gaze to her, abandoning his tea, "Tell me, Kagome, where do you feel you belong?"

Kagome met his gaze with equal vigor, he had been giving her keys, opening up doors she had not known she had inside her and the question had opened up the very last one. She finally answered after a long moment, "I've never truly felt like I belonged anywhere… that is until last night, I know where I belong, and that is where you are."

He gave a smile, a true smile that no one was privileged to see. It had warmed her to the core, "Good, I wouldn't have it any other way." He returned to drinking his tea and reading the scrolls that Huro left on the table for him.

She smiled and resumed eating her breakfast. She realized then that her lack of memory had never bothered her. She did wish to find out about her past but she knew, there was no hurry, after all, she felt at home at last.

Kagome stepped out of the sedan, bowing to the runner for thanks and turned to the Okiya she had been living in. She felt different, as if her perspective had changed and knew that she was no longer a child anymore, a simple night of passion was told to change the woman's view the first time. She felt older, wiser and feelings she had never thought she would feel, namely one, seductive. She felt that she had gained a new power, a power that she now hold in her hands, to bring men down to their knees but she knew she would not abuse it because she wanted to use it only on one, her Lord SesshoMaru, no others.

Wrapping her outer haori around her body tighter, she stepped in the front gate and took off her geta and made her way into Okasan's office. As expected, Okasan was there, waiting to greet her.

Okasan rose from her desk and stepped up to Kagome, smiling a small smile as she studied her face. She was surprised to find Kagome not distressed as usually the Maiko was when they had their first night with men. In fact, Kagome seemed to have extra sparks in her eyes. "You are now a Geisha." She murmured as she embraced Kagome.

Kagome gave a small smile in return and handed a folded parchment to Okasan, "He wishes for you to read this." She bowed her head.

Okasan took the parchment, puzzled. She opened it and read the elegant script, "Oh…" She gasped. Soon they had audience. Kaida and Momo were standing in the doorway on the other side of the office. Auntie was behind Kagome by the stairs, listening in as well.

Okasan paled slightly, looking up to Kagome, "That was quick. You have a Danna and he is going to buy you off in few months."

Kaida looked furious, "What? Give me that!" She snatched the parchment out of Okasan's hands and read it; her face went from white to red, furious.

Okasan stared at Kagome, "Such price he had offered to pay for you. It is like the highest in the history of Japan. Do you know of this?"  
"Hai, he told me."  
Kaida threw down the parchment and stormed out of the office, shoving Momo aside. Momo ran into the office and clutched onto Kagome's sleeve, "Wow, you know she's really pissed because in all of her time of being a Geisha, she had never once was offered to have a Danna, and you, the first night and bam. You're lucky… Who is he?" She bent down to pick up the paper and her eyes went wide, "The youkai Lord SesshoMaru? Sadako! He's like the untouchable one!! He's the one who bidded on you?"

Okasan nodded, "Yes, for a hundred thousand, the highest ever in the history and yet he offered more for her freedom. Sadako, I wish you luck."

Kagome bowed her head, "Thank you, Okasan. I am to stay here at the Okiya until the time comes, and when I am to leave, he will give you the money."

"Well, I suppose, you may go and rest, I am sure you want a bath later?" Okasan asked and gestured to Auntie as she saw Kagome gave a single nod. "I know first night is tough, but you get used to it. Come, having a youkai is tough one, especially for the first time. I feared for you last night."

Kagome smiled a secret smile, "Ah, Okasan, he is most gentle. There had been nothing to worry about." Okasan looked thoroughly confused.

Kagome had been given a bath and she rested until she was called to go to a Tea house where SesshoMaru would be. She had found him, waiting for her and she accompanied him though the night, attending to his need at the tea house and meeting, giving laughs when needed, giving stories and songs, dance and everything else. He truly appreciated her company and did not regret everything he had done for her.

* * *


	7. River Meld into Ocean

- Rivers meld into Ocean -

* * *

Kagome glanced at the small parchment in her hand; it was a letter from her new Danna, Lord SesshoMaru. He had requested for her to attend to a teahouse across the district. She approached the tea house, dressed in silver and pink kimono, a new set that was also recently bought. She reached up to fix her hair, which was a new wig as well, SesshoMaru had told her that he did not want to see her hair in wax and oil anymore and bought her couple of wigs for her to wear. They were simple decorated and she was able to replace the ornaments if she wished.

She hid a true smile as she saw SesshoMaru sitting at the table among the other lords which she noted was few higher up lords. She moved herself nimbly around the table and knelt beside SesshoMaru. He gave her a head nod greeting and returned to listening to the other lord talk. She busied herself pouring him sake and held the cup.

She glanced around the room, there were very few Geisha in the room as well yet all of them were youkai, attending to several Lords. She could identify which Geisha had danna and which doesn't. There were no young Maiko, knowing that the higher up lords did not want to waste their time with inexperienced Geisha.

She blinked as she felt SesshoMaru's hand on her wrist and looked to him. He gave a small smile that went unnoticed by everyone else and said with emotionless voice, "If you will, play some music. The lecture is rather dull." Kagome nodded and noticed the other lords were looking at her with expectant looks. She blushed and was thankful that the white make up she wore covered her face. SesshoMaru had told her that he did not like the make up but said it was necessary to keep her true identity hidden until he take her home to the west.

She pulled out a thin flute from her sleeve and rearranged herself to sit a bit more comfortably by SesshoMaru's side and started to play sweet music. She played her own melody, knowing high pitched music irritates youkai's ears and kept it mellow and soft.

The meeting resumed and she kept playing different songs through the entire meeting and soon, as the meeting ended she stopped playing. SesshoMaru gave her an approving look and stood up. She stood up to follow him.

When they reached outside, SesshoMaru turned to her and gestured to a sedan. "Get in; you're staying with me tonight. I am taking you somewhere tomorrow morning." He said and helped her into the sedan. She got in without complaint and rode with him back to his estate.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked.

"You'll see tomorrow." SesshoMaru smirked at her and reached out to touch her face, giving a slight sneer. "Wash those off when you get to the estate." He said softly.

She nodded, "I know you dislike them. So do I."

"It's only for until the convention is over."

They reached the estate and she stayed the night, in his arms until the next day. He had provided her new kimono and she dressed, keeping her long black hair free and her face free from make-ups. She looked every bit like a hime rather than a Geisha. She could tell that SesshoMaru appreciated her look and blushed under his look.

He led her outside his estate to the two headed dragon, Ah-Un. Kagome gasped softly at the dragon steed and allowed SesshoMaru help her onto the saddle and he sat behind her, taking the rein. They took off to the air and she leaned back into his chest, allowing him to wrap the mokomoko-sama around her, keeping her warm from the cool air.

The flight wasn't long as they reached to the forest in the outskirt of the city they came from and they landed near the wide open space in the middle of the forest, several miles away from the main road.

SesshoMaru held his hand out for Kagome to grasp and slip off the back of the two headed dragon. As her shoes hit the ground, she held her elaborate kimono to her body, glancing around the space in the forest they had traveled to.

The space was wide open, in perfect circle around them, the trees surrounding them looked as if they were blasted away, bending outward. Kagome slipped away from SesshoMaru and took a walk around the clearing. Her heart tugged and she frowned, feeling headache coming on. She turned to him, finding him watching her and asked, "Should I remember this place?"

He nodded. "You were found not far from here and taken to the Kura Okiya."

Kagome nodded, "You know what happened here. I was here too… wasn't I?"

He stepped up to her and took her face in his hand, caressing his thumb on her cheek, "Hai. You were battling with an evil hanyou and won. However, price was paid. There was a terrible loss."

Kagome turned, breaking away from his hand and took in the surrounding. "I feel it. My heart hurts. I lost someone special…" She gasped as she saw something protruding from the ground in the center. She went to the center and found a sword sticking from the ground, its blade rusted and chipped, it looked worse to wear. "This sword… I know it… somehow."

"It belonged to my half-brother, InuYasha." He said and watched her face for reaction and found none. He frowned. "He was your protector, closest friend, and rather as many thought, your lover, which he wasn't. He was a hanyou. He got killed in the battle, which caused the explosion here."

Kagome looked up to meet his golden eyes. "Explosion?"

SesshoMaru bowed his head, "Hai. You were the one who caused the explosion. You were in great distress, building a very powerful purification ball, which exploded, killing the evil hanyou in the process and blasting everything else away. You were blasted away as well. I believe the outburst of your Miko power caused your memory loss."

She blinked and turned back to the sword. "This sword. It's here, why haven't anyone taken it?"

SesshoMaru reached out to touch but as before his hand touched the hilt of the sword, it emitted a spark, rejecting his touch. "It cannot be touched. No one can take it from here without permission from the one it protects."

"Really? Who does it protects?"

"You. You were the one who freed it from its confine the first time around and gave it to InuYasha, who in turn vowed to protect you. You are its mistress."

Kagome gasped softly. She reached out to the hilt and found no spark shocking her, feeling confident it wouldn't hurt her, she grasped it and with a gentle tug, it came free from the ground. She smiled and turned to him, holding the sword. "It talks to me."

He smirked, "I thought so. What did it says?"

"Tessaiga says he remembers me and misses me. He is sad that InuYasha is gone. How is it that this sword has a consciousness?"

"It was made from my father's fang, much like this one." He gestured to Tenseiga at his hip, "Its purpose is to protect, and its power is to slay thousands of enemy in one slice."

Kagome looked to the rusted old sword. "It's asking me for a new master to protect me." She looked up to him and handed him the sword, "Will you be its master?"

SesshoMaru frowned, "I cannot touch the sword. It requires one with human blood to use it."

Kagome shook her head, "It doesn't have to anymore. I asked it to accept you. Will you accept it?"

SesshoMaru reached out and found that he wasn't being shocked anymore. Surprise by her power over the sword, he took the hilt and held it. He felt the sword asking him the very same question his father had asked years ago if there was anything he desired to protect. "Yes, Tessaiga, I desire to protect Kagome with my life, to protect Rin and my land, the Western Land."

The sword pulsed and hummed in his hand, transforming into a great fang sword. Kagome gasped as she stepped back, amazed by the transformation. "It accepted me.

"I understand, Chihi-ue." He looked to her and smiled a true smile that she was only privileged to see. "Thank you, Kagome. I will wield it with honor and in remembrance of my father and my brother." He bowed and turned to the center of the ground and bowed. "Rest in peace, InuYasha. I promise I will protect and love Kagome as you had once did." He took the sword and sheathed it, it detranformed and fit right in its scabbard at his belt, joining with Tenseiga and Toukijin.

Kagome moved to his side and held his arm, smiling up to him. "I have no doubt in you, SesshoMaru-sama." He looked down to her and bent his head to meet his lips upon her lips in gentle but passionate kiss.

He then took her back to the city, but in a different district where he took her to a small café. They spent the day together, enjoying each other's company with him telling her of the past, his tales of battles and many other things that interested her. She asked a lot of questions, learning more about him.

By the time the evening fell, he returned her to his estate and they had a simple dinner in his private garden behind the house. He watched her explore the garden, playing with the large koi fishes in the pond. Suddenly she froze and winced, kneeling over her knees as she hugged them.

SesshoMaru noticed her distress and moved to her side, touching her back, brushing her long black hair so they'd not fall into the pond. "Kagome?" He asked, concern laced in his voice.

She looked up to him, her blue eyes wide with shock and her face pale. "Flashbacks…" She murmured. He then understood, picking her up and carrying her back to the blanket where they were sitting for the meal. He sat her down and turned her to him.

"Kagome, what is it you recalled?" He asked his tone soft.

She shook her head. "They're horrible… I've been having dreams lately and they looked like nightmares." She murmured, looking away, afraid to meet his golden eyes. "You were in them… but you were not yourself."

SesshoMaru let go of her and sat back. He understood completely. "You saw memories of me in the past. I know I am a cruel youkai, heartless and vicious. Kagome, those are real memories you are regaining."

Tears fell from her eyes as she turned to meet his face, "But… why are you so different now?"

He reached out and wiped the tears away from her face. "Only to very few that I am different, to you and Rin, my young ward who is waiting for us in the west. To the others, I remain a cold heartless youkai, for it is my reputation that I hold as the Taiyoukai of the West. Once you regain your memories back, you might…" He sighed and dropped his hand from her face, "want to leave me."

She gasped at him. "SesshoMaru…" She closed her eyes as she rested her hands in her lap, "I won't leave you. No matter what my memories are of you. You've shown me enough that you do care about me." She opened her eyes to meet his golden eyes and smiled, seeing the caring look in them.

"It is important for you to regain your memories…" He said leaning forward, "There are things in your life that make who you are and you can't have them missing from your life. You will find how an amazing woman you are." He closed the space between them, capturing her lips in a kiss. She grasped her hands around his neck and allowed him to pick her up to set her in his lap, never breaking their lips away from one another.

SesshoMaru took a sip from his tea cup, watching Kagome give a dance that the other lords had asked her for. Only he would permit so and agreed, he wanted to watch her dance as well. The other lords knew better, she was his and no one was allowed to touch her. The meeting tonight was slightly larger than the meeting the other night, the higher up lords had included their daimyos as well. He had few of his own in the room too and there were more Geshia serving them tonight. Among them were Momo and Kaida as well Kikuya with her Danna.

He ignored the others, chatting and talking for the meeting was already over and it was time to enjoy and relax. The night was young and Kagome was giving a show of her dance, she was fast becoming a favorite Geisha and the other lords had asked him to bring her to every meeting. He was content to watch her move with grace and skills that came from deep within her. Her moves reminded him of the past, he saw the younger Kagome moving across the battlefield, with determination and full of life, with power rising in her. The only thing were missing from her dance were the fire and the bow and arrow that she used to wield. He knew that she had to regain her memory to regain the very essence of herself.

He had worked lately retrieving the Shikon no Tama, having only gotten half of the whole. It was in his estate, waiting to be reunited to Kagome. The very thing held Kagome's past and memories. He knew of this because every time she was in close proximity to the jewel, she seemed to get hit with memories and her powers flared to life. He did not want to risk anything by returning the jewel to her just yet, he wanted to bring her to the Western Palace and give her the jewel. However, he wanted to get the whole jewel back first.

Her dance was over and she bowed, smiling softly as the other lords gave her applauds; as well the other Geisha, only few did not. She made her way to SesshoMaru's side and knelt beside him. He placed two tea cups and gave a tiny gesture for her to serve herself some. She gave a small gesture of thanks and poured the two tea cups. He took one and watched her drink from the other one demurely.

"Say, do your Geisha have opinion of youkai and human interaction nowadays?" One of the Lords asked.

SesshoMaru turned his head to him and gave a pause before replying, "We shall see, Sadako, earlier you've heard about the meeting, do you have an input?"

Kagome blinked and rested her teacup in her hands on her laps and she tilted her head sideway, giving a thoughtful look. "Hai, I've heard." She pursed her red lips, giving the other lords to laugh at her comically expressions. She glanced from the corner of her eyes and saw her Danna was also amused. "You can't forever separate the two races, because they both share one world…" She paused and straightened herself up again. "The humans are going to keep developing to the point that they might overtake the youkai if they keep at it as it is now, warring against each other. War only prove one side will win or none at all. For both sides to win is to come in agreement."

The others watched in silence for a long moment after she had finished her input. Suddenly, several lords gave chuckles. "A smart one you got there, has she been reading your war book?" The question was directed to SesshoMaru.

The Taiyoukai chuckled. "And you believe she could read? I am sure she might had been sneaking into my library when I have my back turned."

"One like her will give troubles, like a snake charming a mouse into traps with her intelligence." Kaida spoke, bringing everyone's attention to her from across the room. She was serving a lesser lord.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the other Geisha. SesshoMaru did the same and spoke with cold tone, "A mouse she may lure into her trap, however under a giant dog's watch. For you know a simple garden snake is no match to a dog."

Kaida stopped pouring sake, turning her wide eyes to SesshoMaru, never expecting him to retort back to her. She had expected something out of Kagome to make her look bad.

SesshoMaru gave a snort at Kaida's shocked silent and continued, "Rather a pitiful Geisha you make yourself. It's a wonder how one make into the teahouse smelling like a concubine wearing a Geisha's mask."

Kagome gave a soft gasp only he heard. Kaida went pale, for she was an older Gesiha was permitted to not wear the white make up and the paleness was visible on her face. The other lords gave soft snickering. SesshoMaru gave a feral grin to Kaida as he watched her stand up, making her leave. "Make sure you never are in my presence ever again, I cannot stand the smell of human males on you." He said as Kadia finally disappeared from the door.

Lord Wastunobo gave a hearty chuckle, "I'm rather amazed how some lords put up with her presence. I've been thinking of banning her from the teahouse for the rest of the convention."

SesshoMaru gave a shrug, "One has to do it. She has farther insulted my Geisha one too often." He glanced to Kagome by his side and held her the cup for her to refill.

"Hm, my Kikuya had trained Sadako rather well for you to have her. She is intelligent and you might watch out, she might rule your land one day."

SesshoMaru chuckled at Wastunobo, "I might as well let her." The other lords laughed at his joke. He smirked, knowing very well was the truth someday she would. It was that moment he glanced into her ocean blue eyes and knew he had a perfect name for her as the Lady of the West.

* * *


	8. Ocean's Rhythm

- Ocean's Rhythm -

* * *

Kagome walked through the district coming from okiya to her Danna's estate, where she had been staying the night upon his request once again and it was becoming more and more frequent. She was starting to leave her things at his estate and he had set up a room for her adjacent to his chamber. He had gifted her with more things such as kimonos, perfumes that he liked on her and makeup, which was useful for her to use while being a Geisha at the teahouses.

The meeting was becoming more frequents, occurring nightly at several of teahouses since the conventions were drawing close to the end. It had been nearly six months since she started as a Geisha and having SesshoMaru as her Danna. The four Taiyoukai were holding meeting at their estate each weekend, taking turns, holding their own private meetings and the upcoming weekend was SesshoMaru's turn.

He had explained to her that it was the last meeting that he will attend to and he needed her to be there, to introduce her to the other high lords. After that, he would take her to the West and she will no longer be Sadako, but the Lady of the West. She was very curious to what her new life will be, what her new name will be. SesshoMaru had hinted he had thought up a name for her.

It only had been six months since the Convention started and she felt she had gone farther than she ever had. Not that her past life counts, her memories still remained eluded and she was beginning to not care if she was going to ever remember her past life, her life as of now was a happy one for her. Her dreams had provided otherwise, it looked very much like nightmares and with her personal confession to the stoic taiyoukai, he had informed her it was indeed her past life. She told him she had not liked the dreams, how things seemed before and expressed that she did not wish to know more to her past, SesshoMaru allowed the subject to drop for now.

Kaida had long disappeared, she stopped trailing Kagome around and many had suspected she had angered a youkai lord or so and was killed or something. It was common for the youkai lord to kill one or two humans in their wrath and Kaida was known to anger some more frequently. No one really bothered to search for her; after all, no one truly liked her and they were glad she was gone.

Kikuya was proud of Kagome, achieving so much in short time even though she was a bit disappointed that SesshoMaru had a different plan for her. She knew she could not defy the taiyoukai's wishes. She suspected SesshoMaru was going take Kagome back to his palace and make her his mate, after all, he was the only known youkai lord that did not have concubines or harem. Her cousin was elusive on what he planned to do with Kagome, refusing to tell her what he was going to do with her when he leaves.

As she walked through the district, she bowed and greeted the other Geisha she was familiar with. She stopped several times to chat with the others, seeing how they were doing and continued on. She had bought several tea bags with unique flavors that she had come to like and some others that she knew SesshoMaru liked too while walking from the okiya to the estate.

"Geesh Miroku! We wouldn't find here in this place! It's a Geisha district!" Someone berated, her voice rising above normal level. The woman with long black hair and dressed in plain green and pink/white checkered kimono carrying a large boomerang bone across her back looked about ready to kill the purple and black robed monk next to her. They appeared very out of place in the district, causing the other to look at them.

"Honestly! Sango, I felt jewel in this direction and it landed us here in the district. Think about it, the battlefield is several miles outside town, straight from here." The priest, Miroku said, holding his hands up to pacify the angry woman before him.

Sango huffed as she rolled her eyes, "If you're lying, knowing you like to go after women, I'll kill you! It's a geisha district!"

"Yeah, yeah." Miroku sighed and continued walking through the district, his eyes wandering around, typically studying every Geisha that passed him by. Sango fumed next to him, not liking where they were and wondering why Miroku had brought them to this place of all the places.

Miroku stopped and picked up a handkerchief that was dropped by one of the prettiest geisha he had seen in the entire district. She was wearing an elaborate kimono of white with deep red flowers splattered all over; her obi was solid red with smaller ties around it in blue and yellow. If he had a clear mind, he would have recognized the color sign belonging to a taiyoukai he knew. But with lustful mind, his sight was rather clouded. "Ma'am! You dropped your handkerchief." He said holding up, missing the corner with three sakura stitched to the corner with elegant 'S' in kanji. Sango was about to blow a gasket as she saw Miroku stopping to talk with a Geisha which happen to be rather very pretty by her standard.

The geisha turned to him, gasping and smiling, thanking him as she took the white handkerchief. "Thank you, I would be lost if I've lost that." She said and tucked it in her obi. Miroku gazed in awe at her, noticing her bright blue eyes shining. Her face were typically painted in pale white, her eyes lined with deep kohl, accenting her eyes and her lips painted deep delicious red. However, it was not what shocked him, it was her familiar feature that made him speechless.

"Kagome?" He asked as he found his voice and Sango stopped before bashing Miroku to ground as she heard him call the Geisha the name.

Kagome blinked and looked up from stuffing her handkerchief, frowning. No one else knew her true name except for her Danna. "Excuse me?"

"Kagome, we've finally found you!" Miroku cried in joy, grasping her hand in his, causing her to stare at him with shock.

"Uhm, who are you?" Kagome asked as she tried to free her hands from the monk's grasp.

Sango gasped, "Miroku, she does not recognize us."

"I got to go… I can't stay." She said and turned, walking away, leaving Sango and Miroku staring after her in surprise.

"She lost her memory… Damn." Miroku muttered. As the light lit up in his head, "She was wearing a familiar sash, the yellow and blue one."

"Isn't that SesshoMaru's crest?"

"Yes…" He glanced to the side and noticed a sign pasted on the stone wall of a building. He studied it and told Sango, "I get it. There's a convention for all the lords in all Jappo, youkai and human alike. Tonight is the last night… If I'm correct, Kagome has become a Geisha in the time of her disappearance and ended up here and SesshoMaru found her before we did, becoming her Danna… she was wearing her crest and her face was painted in a way that she is not a simple Geisha but belongs to her Danna."

"How did you know all of this about Geisha?" Sango asked irritably.

Miroku chuckled, "Believe it or not, my mother was one."

Sango stared wide eyed at Miroku in shock, "Your mother? Your father was a priest… oy, where is this world coming to?" She slapped her forehead and followed Miroku who chuckled ahead of her. She called after him, "What are we going to do?"

Miroku waved his hand in the air, "Tonight is the last night for a conference and guess who is holding it?"

Sango caught up with him and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know."

Miroku paused, almost making Sango walk past him. He gestured to the scroll that was pasted on the wall and she looked at it and noticed it was a notice. She glanced around and saw the notice was posted on the wall all over the place. "Okay, what does it say?" She asked, being unable to read kanji.

Miroku closed his eyes in frustration, upset with himself that he had forgotten Sango couldn't read. "It's being held at the Western Estate, hosted by Lord SesshoMaru. It also said that his geisha will be giving a performance tonight."

She frowned, "Isn't that unusual for a lord to announce a performance if he's hosting a conference?"

"Hai, it is. I believe our Kagome is a popular geisha and with her going to perform tonight, she will draw a bigger crowd. So that makes it a lot easier for us to get in!" He smirked.

Sango gaped at him, "How do you plan to do that? We don't even fit in around here at all."

Miroku gave a sly smile and Sango rolled her eyes, knowing the perverted monk had something up his sleeves.

* * *

Kagome entered the estate and slipped off her sandals at the entrance and quietly padded her feet into the place, making her way toward the office where she knew SesshoMaru would be. She was mixed up inside since meeting the monk and the slayer in the street, they knew her names and they apparently knew her from her past. She was torn in between going after them to find out who they were to her or abandoning them and hides until they decide to not find her.

SesshoMaru had over the time told her that it was important for her to recall her memory, her past to rediscover who she was. However, she was more inclined to stick with who she is now, not wanting to remember her past. Her dreams were terrible enough that she knew the reality of her past would scare her even more. Yet, her Danna had told her that if she never remembers, she would lose herself, her ability as a Miko which he had mentioned that she was the most powerful one all around.

She knelt and knocked at the door of the office and heard his quiet permission for her to enter. She slid the door open and entered, making her way to sit before his desk where he worked over several scrolls and writings. He looked up and gave a hint of smirk, welcoming her. She smiled warmly at him.

"It is the last night of the Convention. I am not going to stay any longer here in this district. We are going to leave in the morning. Huro will come to the Okiya and gather you and your things in the morning." SesshoMaru said as he placed the brush down. He gazed at her for a while in silent and smiled a true smile. "Go and rest for the night, I'll come and see you before the meeting start. Your Okasan knows that she will have the money when Huro comes for your things in the morning."

Kagome nodded, smiling, "Of course. I can't wait." She tilted her head, "Is it different being a Lady?"

SesshoMaru smirked as he leaned back, resting on his elbows, watching her with hooded eyes, "The duty and lifestyle are different from a Geisha, but your training as a Geisha will aid you to act like a true lady. I believe you will not need any training to be one, there are enough court ladies at my palace and with your skills of adapting, and you will pick up quick enough. I have faith in you, my love."

She grinned at him, "I'm glad you do have faith in me. Won't they object to my being a human?"

SesshoMaru shook his head lightly, "they will not notice. Do you object to becoming a youkai?"

Kagome's eyes went wide, "It is possible?"

"Yes, with us mating, you will become a youkai and the others have no way of knowing that you used to be a human. Kagome, if you wish to not become one, I understand."

"Please, I have nothing else in my life, I want to be with you and yes, I'll become a youkai if it takes to keep me with you for the rest of our life."

"Good." SesshoMaru said as he rose and moved to her side, leaning down and kissing her lips. "Go, I'll see you later."

"All right." She said and bowed to him formally before exiting the office. She headed to the master chamber and went to clean herself off, washing the make-ups and slipping out of her kimonos and into a simple sleeping yakuta. It was not even afternoon and she knew she would have a long night ahead of her and slipped into the bed, falling asleep easily.

* * *

Miroku glanced to Sango, who scowled at him with the darkest look on her face. He smirked as he reached up to clean up the red paint smug off the corner of her lips. "Just follow my lead, be quiet and act demure, and no one would suspect us being out of place."

Sango glared at him, "Miroku," She seethed as she rearranged the long sleeves of her elaborate colorful kimono that they had 'pick' up for her to wear. Rather, they had stolen it from several okiya to make a combination of kimonos for her to wear. Her long black hair had been set on her head in a simple bun with some simple decoration and a large flower pinned to distract from whatever may seem suspicious. Her face had been pained like a maiko geisha.

Miroku grinned at her, he was dressed in a lord kimono, his hair loose hanging around his neck and he looked quiet different. "We are here simply to see Kagome and talk to SesshoMaru, we just need to sit in the back, wait for the meeting to end and catch them."

"What if we lose them?" Sango muttered.

"We will catch up to them. Now we know Kagome is in SesshoMaru's hands and how often do we come across SesshoMaru in the past?"

Sango snapped her eyes to Miroku, "But, we have not seen SesshoMaru since before the last battle with Naraku, that's a long time."

"I know." Miroku said softly as he turned and walked toward the Western estate, following the flow of lords and their geishas to the place. Sango struggled to keep Miroku's pace and silently considering bashing him afterward.

They manage to slip in the estate and to their surprise, it was huge and beautiful, then again, it was expected for a taiyoukai like SesshoMaru. They quietly followed the flow to the large garden behind the estate and there were tables set out and places for everyone to sit and relax while the meeting conducted. Both of them chose a secluded spot in the back corner of the garden under a tree, far away to be noticed but close enough to be able to see and hear everything going on.

As they were seated, they had plenty to eat and drink and Sango proceed to serve Miroku and she caught his smirk toward her and quietly, pinched him on his leg under the table, causing him to whimper slightly. She turned to listen to the meeting as it went on and observed around her. She noticed that most of the lords were youkai, very few were humans and almost every geisha that the lords had with them were all youkai for the exception of Kagome being human.

They found Kagome sitting up in the front, next to SesshoMaru, quietly listening to the meeting as she proceed to serve the higher ranking lords at the head table. They watched her intently and noticed SesshoMaru made a tiny gesture and she moved to sit at the end of the table, taking out a flute and played soft song that filled the garden while several lords talked about the subject on the agenda. They watched mesmerized as she played, surprised that she had hidden talents, being a very proficient woman of the art.

As the hours progressed on, it was already late into the night and the agenda had been discussed and agreed on or disagreed on, eliminated and added and finally, it was time for socializing and performances. Many geishas took turns playing music, skits and songs and they teased and flirted with the lords for well good next several hours and Miroku and Sango watched Kagome, observing her behavior and how she interacted with SesshoMaru and the other taiyoukais. They were surprised to see that the taiyoukais easily accepted her presence and enjoyed her banters, jokes and teasing. She flirted only for SesshoMaru.

"Do you think SesshoMaru is taking advantage of Kagome?" Sango asked quietly as she poured another cup of tea for herself.

Miroku frowned as he watched SesshoMaru whisper into Kagome's ear, making her giggle. "I don't think so. He still has the same air about him, yet he showed the compassionate toward her, much more than we have seen him for the little girl who follows him around."  
"Rin. Her name is Rin. I wonder where she is."

"Perhaps somewhere with Jaken, waiting for SesshoMaru to rejoin them soon. Kagome must have been here since the battle, probably discovered by a geisha and brought here, and that's how she became one. The conference had been going on in the past six months and it is enough time for Kagome to become a full fledge geisha, if she had been trained rather hard." Miroku said as he sipped the sake. He froze as SesshoMaru looked his way and their eyes met for a moment before the taiyoukai looked away to listen to another geisha with silver hair and mature attitude.

Sango frowned as she noticed Miroku's stiffness. "What is wrong?"

"I think SesshoMaru noticed me. He looked my way." Miroku said.

"Oh."

SesshoMaru gave Kikuya a nod, "It's time." He simply said and glanced to Kagome, giving her a smallest smile. She bowed her head and stood up gracefully, moving around him to stand before the head table in a small clearing. Kikuya picked up the shamisen and started to play a sweet melody. Few of the other that was sitting beside her joined in with their flutes and small drums.

Kagome started to dance, with grace and poise that enthralled the men, human and youkai alike, mesmerizing them with her movement. SesshoMaru watched with pleasure, keeping one eye on her while the other watched the other lords. He had noticed a lord in the back of the audience earlier and recognized him to be one of Kagome's friends from before the battle with Naraku. He was surprised to say at the least that they manage to slip in unnoticed. He had suspected Kagome's distress earlier when she had came back from the market and now, he was able to make connection to her distress. They had found her in the street and confronted her, and she must had left them, confused because according to her, no one else knew her real name except for him and both the monk and slayer knew her name.

He made a mental note to bring them to him after all of the guests leave. He was planning to leave immediately as the last guest left the estate. The sedan with Ah-Un hoisted will be prepared the moment Kagome complete her performance and everything in the palace was already prepare to be shut up for the rest of the time being until he would return someday. He was going to take Kagome away from the city, away from the district and give her a new life.

Miroku and Sango watched Kagome dancing, enthralled by her beauty and grace, surprised to the very core of her hidden talents. They had begun to doubt if it were the very same Kagome they knew years ago, after all, the geisha that followed SesshoMaru did indeed look like Kagome but wasn't her to their best knowledge of her character and personality. The woman dancing for the guest had more grace, beauty, maturity and magic of art than the Kagome they knew. Miroku had sensed very little to no Miko ability in the geisha and wondered why.

Sango looked to SesshoMaru and was surprised to see the taiyoukai's face and eyes soft, watching Kagome. In all of the times she had met and confronted the taiyoukai, he had cold and hard demeanor and wondered how Kagome had melted his icy core. She glanced to his hip, which was clearly seen as he was sitting back and away from the table and she saw three familiar swords. Tokijin, Tessaiga and Tenseiga. She slapped Miroku immediately as she realized something. "Miroku!" She whispered harshly, snapping him out of his trance.

He glanced to Sango, rubbing his sore arm, "What is it?"

"Look at SesshoMaru's swords!"

Miroku glanced back and he frowned, not catching on until he saw Tessaiga. "Tessaiga! How?"

"Wasn't it stuck in the battleground where InuYasha died and Kagome disappeared? Couldn't it be touched?" Sango asked, whispering.

Miroku nodded, "I don't know how SesshoMaru manage to get his hand on it! InuYasha must be rolling in his grave by now."

The music ended and Kagome completed her dance, bowing and smiling as the guest cheered for her. She returned to SesshoMaru's side and sat down, accepting a cup of drink from him. He brushed his hand across her hand and stood up, announcing that it was the end and he thanked the guests for coming.

Slowly, the lords started to leave, their geisha followed. Kagome chatted quietly with Kikuya while the four taiyoukai gathered at the end of the garden, talking quietly together. A lord from the eastern providence, rather drunk approached Kagome and Kikuya, grinning wantonly as he leaned against the head table, "Beautiful performance, would you please attend with me elsewhere? I am sure I'll pay you handsomely." He grinned rakishly.

Kagome gasped softly as Kikuya narrowed her eyes at the drunken lord, "She cannot attend anyone, and she has a danna."

"I'll pay more than he offers."

Kagome gave a huff and stood up, "I am sorry, you won't be able to out pay Lord SesshoMaru." She bowed and turned to leave. He grasped her hand, stopping her and holding onto tightly.

"I said I'll pay more than he does." He growled, looking feral.

Kikuya gasped and stood up to intervene but saw she didn't have to. SesshoMaru was already there in a flash, removing the drunken's lord's hold onto Kagome. "You'll behave in my estate and around my property." He growled as he glared at the drunken lord.

The drunken lord stumbled back, holding his bleeding wrist where SesshoMaru had slashed upon. "My apologies, milord." He bowed and stumbled away, seething.

SesshoMaru turned upon to the eastern taiyoukai, "You best be watching your lords, he behaved inappropriately and it wasn't the first time." He warned.

The eastern Taiyoukai's face darkened, "You've been accusing my lords of misbehaving since the beginning." He walked up to SesshoMaru and sneered as he glanced to Kagome, "She's making you soft. You've clearly stated yourself for years that you do not believe in using geisha or any women that matter and now, here, out of the blue, she appears and she has your scents all over her. I wonder if it is she had you whipped."

SesshoMaru's eyes bled red. "You might as well watch your footing, I do not approve of your ideals and behaviors. I shall not forgive your trespass, but if you cross my line again, I shall not hesitate to kill you."

The eastern taiyoukai snarled and whipped his tail, for he was a tiger youkai and turned to stalk out of the garden, leaving the estate. The southern taiyoukai stepped up to SesshoMaru, his soft voice, "I agree with you that he has been stepping out of line lately. If anything in the matter, I will support you. I've been gathering information from my scouts that he is planning to invade my lands."

SesshoMaru turned to the kitsune taiyoukai and nodded as he felt Kagome's hand on his arm, causing the redness in his eyes recede. "Hai. Forgive me for my rash behavior. I do not tolerate such behavior."

"There is nothing to forgive, rather you've been very lenient much lately." The fox grinned, "It makes me wonder if it is truly the girl that was the cause." He glanced to Kagome who looked away shyly. He heard SesshoMaru growl and laughed. "I must leave, thank you for hosting this convention. I shall see you soon." The kitsune bowed and left.

Kagome looked up to SesshoMaru, "shall I go and get ready?"

He gave her a tiny nod and allowed her to leave, slipping into the estate and he turned to the last taiyoukai, an aged eagle youkai with yellow eyes and graying black feathers instead of hair step up to him. He felt calmer and bowed his head to the old youkai. "Forgive me. I hope things had gone to your expectations tonight."

The eagle youkai blinked and grinned, "Beyond my expectation, your little geisha gave extraordinary performance. I have not failed to be unpleased at all with every meeting she had attended. Where did you find such a little gem?"

SesshoMaru rolled his eyes, knowing the northern taiyoukai had things for women and pleasure. "That would not be your business."

"Indeed. I wish to speak to you regarding to my land sometime soon." The eagle youkai said as he followed SesshoMaru, leaving the garden to the stable where Ah-Un had been hoisted to the sedan, ready to leave to the Western Land. "I wish to name you my heir to my land."

SesshoMaru paused and turned to the old youkai, "Why? What of your children? Wouldn't they try to war against me if I were to have your land?"

"No, I had appointed my eldest son to become the next lord, however, he ran off with some pretty youkai over sea and I have not heard from him since. He had always shown disinterest in my land. I moved onto my next eldest child and she also does not wish to be the next heir. So, I have no one to pass my land from my family. I am the oldest and I trust no one in my court. You've proven yourself to be very strong and wise, your Western Land is flourishing under your rule and I have come to see you like a family to me."

"I am honored. I shall arrange a meeting with you soon to go over the details. I wish to not stay any moment longer here in the city. Western Land has been too long without me."

"A mere six months?"

"A month is far too long."

SesshoMaru smirked as the older taiyoukai laughed. "Now, now. You astound me every time. Tell me, you are taking your little geisha home with you?" SesshoMaru said nothing as he inspected the sedan. Nodding, the eagle youkai smiled, "Ah, she's indeed a special one. I've known from the start that she wasn't really a geisha. She's too special to let go. I will not say a word."

"I appreciate that." SesshoMaru said as he turned back and saw Kagome approaching them. She had washed and changed into a simple kimono with heavy jacket over her body, covering her head. She looked weary but happy. He reached out with his hand and took her hand, helping her to slip into the sedan and settle down. He turned back to the eagle youkai and bowed, "I thank you for your presence tonight. I will send a missive to arrange a meeting soon."

"Hai, thank you for the closing conference. You've outdone yourself as usual." The old taiyoukai bowed and turned, transforming as he took flight into the pinkening sky of the dawn.

SesshoMaru watched the youkai disappear in the sky and turn back to Kagome, "There is one more matter I must attend to, I will not be long." He saw Kagome nod and settle to go to sleep in the sedan and smirked.

He closed the door and turned to find Miroku and Sango approaching him with Huro by their side. He nodded to Huro, "I shall take care of them. See to the estate and follow shortly.

"Hai, milord." Huro said as he bowed and left.

Miroku swallowed and spoke, "Forgive us, SesshoMaru-sama. We had been looking for Kagome ever since the battle with Naraku. We had believed she did not perish in the battle but rather blown away. By the time we were able to come around and search for her, she had long disappeared without trace. Now we believe we had found her yesterday in the street of the district, as a geisha, with no memory."

"You are correct in that assumption." SesshoMaru said. He knew their questions and answered before they could ask. "I found her before the conference when I came to check the area out. She clearly had no recollection of her past before her life in the district and I had been keeping eye on her since then and now, she will return with me to the West."

"We also had been gathering the jewel, it belongs to Kagome." Miroku said as he pulled a small matchbox like wooden box and handed it to SesshoMaru.

The taiyoukai took the box and glanced in it, it was the other half of the jewel. "I have the other half. The jewel will aid her in remembering. I plan to give her the jewel soon."

Sango sighed in relief. "I'm glad. Kagome is the only one who can take the jewel out of existence. It would not be good to allow it exists longer in our world, it draws too many evils to it."

"Hai." SesshoMaru bowed his head. "We must depart, I'll arrange for you to come to my palace in few days time and you can speak with Kagome. She will be pleased to see you again." He said and turned to get into the sedan.

Miroku asked before the door closed, "Milord? How is it you came to have Tessaiga?"

SesshoMaru turned to face Miroku, "Only one way I could come to it. Kagome." He said simply and slipped the door shut and Ah-Un moved, taking to the sky, taking the sedan along with him.

"Eh?" Miroku asked as he watched the dragon and the sedan disappear in the clouds.

"Well, we will find out more soon. I trust SesshoMaru. Kagome is in a good hand." Sango said with a yawn and turned to leave, dragging Miroku along with her. "I want out of this stupid kimono and makeup!"

"Ah, Sango my dear, you look rather ravishing."

* * *


	9. Sunset upon the Ocean

Warning: Citrus scented.

-Sunset upon the Ocean-

* * *

The trip would take a whole lot faster if SesshoMaru traveled by himself, using his orb, however, he found it was also pleasurable to travel slowly with Kagome, Ah-Un cruised in the sky, keeping above the cloud to keep out of sight and the sedan was filled with Kagome's sweet scent that made SesshoMaru nearly relaxed.

He had watched her for most of the trip since they left the estate in the city, she slept soundly and warmly, cuddled up in her heavy coat and lying across the pillowed bench of the sedan. He sat across from her and he had long ago draped his own Mokomoko-sama over her, to ward off the cold air of the higher atmosphere. Finally, Kagome begun to wake up after good ten hours of traveling and sat up wearily, rubbing her eyes.

"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked softly.

SesshoMaru replied as he gazed at her. "Close to ten hours. We are almost to the West Hold, where you will live for the rest of your life, if you will be my mate."

She smiled at him, "I can't wait."

He gave a single nod and his eyes moved to the side of the sedan. "I've told Ah-Un to land shortly, there are things we need to discuss and it is best to do so before we reach the West Hold."

"Oh. All right." She murmured as she glanced to the window of the sedan and saw that they were descending from the sky, the forest below was quickly coming up toward them. She expected for them to crash but the sedan was settled gently onto the ground and rolled to the stop. SesshoMaru stepped out of the sedan and helped her to step out.

He walked ahead into the forest and Kagome followed him, curious to know what SesshoMaru wished to speak to her about that seemed to be important and private to not be spoken of in West Hold. After few minutes, they reached a clearing and Kagome gasped in awe for the beauty of the clearing captivated her, it was a small open area in the forest, a creek ran through, making a small waterfall and the snow covered everywhere and the tree was covered in inches of snow, creating illusion of beauty, the sun shone, giving the glimmer upon the snow. She smiled at him as she tightened the coat around her. He gestured to a large rock that was smooth enough for her to sit upon. She sat on it and waited for him to speak.

He looked away in the forest silently for few long minutes before turning to her. "I will not force you to do what you don't want to."

"You are not." Kagome told him softly.

He shook his head, "No, not yet. That's what you believe, because of who you are now. As Sadako, you trust me completely, devoted to me completely. As Sadako, you are a simple Geisha, taught and trained to pleasure men with the art of dance, music and many other things, you will do whatever I say upon whim."She frowned at him, unsure where he was going. He continued, "But as Kagome… your true name, you are not any of those things, you disobey, defy and fight for your independence, you have an entirely different concept of the world. You believe you are equal to me. Even on several occasion, you stood up to me and tried to harm me in the past."

Kagome gasped softly, her eyes wide, "I would never do that! If anyone were to do that, they would not live to see the next day!"

SesshoMaru smirked, "You and your friends were the only one who manage to live another day over several occasion after encountering me. I am a cold, sadistic and cruel youkai, no one crosses my path, and however you and your friends had done so."

She gaped at him, "If I had done so, then why did you allow us to live?"

He became serious again, "Your honor demands it. You've defeated me enough time to earn another day of life. But that's not really the point. The point is you must regain who you are before we are to continue with our path."

Kagome's eyes filled with tears and overflowed, "I don't want to, if I have to return to who I am, I won't be myself anymore. I like who I am now."

SesshoMaru shook his head as he stepped up to Kagome, tilting her face to look at him. Upon the rock, she was almost face to face in height with him. She blinked, her blue eyes shining with fear. "I've come to appreciate and respect Kagome I know. You are not Kagome without your memory, your fire, and your personality. This is why we are here. You must remember or else you would cease to exist. I can see the signs of you waning, the longer you go on, your power diminish and fade away, and eventually, you will die. Not by old age, but by the missing part of your soul."

She gasped at him, shocked. "I am dying?"  
"Scent of death is always upon human, but yours are much stronger, because you are missing part of your soul. You've proven yourself very strong and able to go on for a long time, but there is limit to every being with part of their souls. I have the very thing to return your soul." He said as he stepped back and reached in his haori and withdrew two pieces of a whole marble, sitting in his hand, faint glow emitted from it. He handed it to Kagome. "This is the Shikon no Tama and it holds your memory, holds part of your soul in this. I will not allow us to continue on until you regain your memory and make the decision."

She looked at the broken marble in his hand and pondered his words. "I'm afraid."

"I know."

"Will I lose who I am now?"

"No. Only you will regain what you've lost."

She nodded and swallowed hard before reaching out to the glass. She looked up to him before touching it, "For what it was worth, thank you." She closed her eyes and grasped the glass. She gasped as she was thrown back with immense power washing over her, causing her to burn bright with pure light. SesshoMaru stepped back and turned his face away to shield himself from the light.

The Shikon no Tama melted in her hand and became whole. It burned hot and cold alike; memories came rushing back to her, swirling in her mind. She remembered falling into the well, coming out and finding a hanyou in the forest, awaking him. InuYasha!

She remembered the village, shattering the jewel, seeing her first sight of corpses. More traveling, fighting youkai and humans alike. Thunder Brothers and a small kitsune that tried to steal their only few shards. Shippo!

Memories of Kikyo, the betrayal of Naraku. Meeting SesshoMaru for the first time. She screamed in horror and grief as the light kept pulsing, washing her over. The memories was both terrible and wonderful, she was torn in between wanting and not wanting to know more. More and more kept coming to her, Sango and Miroku came to her mind, more encounter of SesshoMaru, and then finally, the final battle of Naraku.

"_Kagome!" InuYasha yelled at her. She looked up to see him panting, holding Tessaiga in his hand. "Get out of the way!" _

_Kagome scampered from the ground where she had fallen. She had been trying to purify Naraku with her arrows, but it wasn't enough. She had whole half of the jewel while Naraku had the other half. She could sense the tainted part in him. His body was massive, tentacles curling, attacking her and her friends. _

_She gasped as she saw Shippo flung to the side, hitting the trunk of the tree before falling limp to the ground. Kirara had been wounded and reverted to her small state, sitting beside the fallen Shippo. Sango and Miroku was standing back to back, fighting off the oncoming saimyosho and tentacles of Naraku. _

_She looked to InuYasha and saw the determination on his face. He was calling up the powerful attack he had. "Bakuryuha!" He yelled and swung the sword down. However, at the last minutes, the tentacle which he had not seen snaked up under the attack and snatched him by the ankle, drawing him down to the ground and toward Naraku at unbelievable speed. The evil hanyou crackled. _

"_If I go, you go with me!" He said and turned to Kagome whose eyes went wide. "And you too, my dear!" He shot out and grabbed Kagome by the waist. _

"_Kagome! InuYasha!" Sango and Miroku yelled. _

_The attack whipped around them. Kagome screamed in pain and saw InuYasha struggling and he struck Naraku with his sword. "Kagome, purify him! Do it!" _

_She saw the tainted piece above the heart of Naraku and reached out. She called upon all the power of her purification and screamed in pain. The bright light glowed from her hand and became bigger, bigger as it encompassed them all together. Naraku's maniacal laugher became into scream of horror. InuYasha had the most peaceful look upon his face. Kagome looked to the hanyou with golden eyes and saw him mouthing, "I love you, Kagome."And the golden eyes turned violet and his silver hair became midnight black. She stared in horror and shouted._

"_Noooo!" Explosion of light erupted, sending sonic wave all around, blowing everything clean. Kagome felt herself propelling in the air, the last thing she saw was Naraku and InuYasha disintegrating into dusts and she hit the tree at last, falling down to the ground, into the darkness. _

Kagome gasped and blinked, she looked up and around. She found herself surrounded with white light and she stood, walking around, wondering where she was. She gasped as she heard a voice calling her, "Kagome." She swirled and came face to face to a handsome woman standing before her in Miko garb and ancient armors. She looked very much like an older version of herself with iron-straight ebony hair and intense brown eyes that looked almost golden.

Kagome stared at the woman and it finally clicked, "Midoriko!"

"Hai, Kagome." The woman smiled. "You've come a long way, you are very unique and that is why the jewel had chosen you to be its guardian."

"But, it had caused me so much pain and suffering and many others too. I can't handle this! I don't want to remember!"

"So, you remembered your first wish." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Kagome nodded. "I remembered, seeing InuYasha die, I love him so much and all we had been through, and he just died. I wished then, I wouldn't remember, I didn't want to."

"Yes, but it came with a price. It was a selfish wish and you were granted the wish to see what price it came with. Now, with the jewel rejoined, your soul and memory rejoined, you're given another chance to make a wish, the unselfish one."

Kagome fell to her knees, crying. "It's not fair! InuYasha's gone! My friends might be gone! I have nothing left!"

Midoriko shook her head and knelt down to Kagome and brushed the ebony hair from her face. She lifted her chin up, "Surely, your memory is not all entirely missing. In the time since the battle with Naraku, what had you been doing?"

Kagome blinked and looked at Midoriko. She remembered becoming a Geisha, how she felt and what was her goal. She paled and gasped, scampering back, falling onto her butt as she stared at Midoriko's amused face in shock. "Oh my gods! SesshoMaru! He is going to kill me!"

The older woman rolled her eyes, "You can't be that demented!"

Kagome blinked and held her hand to her mouth, remembering what SesshoMaru had done to her in those times, how he had took care of her and everything. She gasped once again realizing that she had come to love him very much, much more than she had loved InuYasha. She moved to sit up, "SesshoMaru…he… oh."

"Now, that's something for you to decide soon. But now, you must know, it is time for you to make the right wish."  
Kagome nodded as she stood up and swallowed hard. "There is no unselfish wish I know of." She murmured and thought for a few moment before saying, "Midoriko, is it possibly that I could wish the jewel out of existence?"

Midoriko smirked, "And why would you do that?"

"So it won't be sought after anymore by evils, the world can go on without it and you can rest finally."

"And would that be to your benefit?"

"No, the jewel gave me no benefit, all it did was bringing me into the past, to meet InuYasha and my other friends, leading to the point where InuYasha died. In fact, I lost more than I gained." She looked up to Midoriko and gasped as the golden brown eyes turned blue, just like hers. "Midoriko?"

"Who will benefit from the wish?" Midoriko asked, ignoring Kagome's surprise and curiousness.

Kagome blinked and hummed before answering, "The world would benefit, and no one would have to suffer with the jewel being around. It had caused enough trouble since it was created. Lots of lives, both humans and youkai were lost. No one would gain anything from the jewel. It would only release you and me from the burden."

Midoriko nodded, her now blue eyes shone brilliantly. "True. However, the wish cannot be granted, for there has to be a price to pay."

Kagome gasped, "Wasn't enough blood spilled to pay the price?"

"Not the blood, but the soul that the jewel requires." Midoriko said softly, she stepped up to Kagome and laid her hand upon Kagome's chest. "It wants your soul."  
"But…" Kagome closed her eyes in resignation. "Then, I have nothing to lose. Very well, if it must make the jewel out of existence. It can have my soul."

"Now, that's a selfless sacrifice. Your wish is granted." Midoriko said softly and disappeared.

Kagome gasped and looked up to find herself sitting upon a rock and she glanced around. She saw SesshoMaru standing few feet away from her. She stood up and scampered back. "SesshoMaru!" She glanced around and grabbed a piece of stick and cursed under her breath, it wasn't a bow, but it was not even enough to defend herself.

"So, you've regained your memory and much more." He said.

Kagome blinked, realizing the cold bite to his voice was gone and gasped, and she threw down the stick and stammered before apologizing, "I'm sorry… Uh…" She groaned and wavered as the headache finally made it known to her head. She grabbed her head and glanced up warily at SesshoMaru who remained where he stood. She realized she was in a conflict and frowned. "I wished the jewel away. I should be dead."  
"But you are not dead." He stated the obvious.

"It wanted my soul." She murmured as she glanced around confused and realized she was wearing beautiful kimono under the heavy equally beautiful coat and her hair seemed longer as it was draped over her shoulder to her waist. She realized it had been quiet good couple years since she last felt like herself. She looked up and heard the whispering voice in her mind, _"The jewel is part of you now, you are the Shikon no Tama. It had chosen you because it wanted your soul, wanted to house in your soul for the eternity. You are its guardian and its power is yours as well." _Kagome gasped and grasped her chest with both hands. She looked up to SesshoMaru who kept watching her with curiously.

"It's in me, its part of me." Kagome said.

"Hai. I sense it in you." SesshoMaru said as he stepped forward to her. She blinked and he saw she wasn't moving or stepping back. He found it was safe enough to approach her. "Your Miko had returned to you, but it is hundred-fold."

She nodded. "Yeah… yeah." She murmured and looked up into his golden eyes, she saw the compassion and caring in his eyes and it strikes her memory that caused her to blush beet-red. "Oh… my… gods…" She whispered once again in shock, her eyes wide like saucer as she clearly remembered the night she lost her virginity to him. "I… lost my virginity to you!" she shrieked and the birds in the trees around them scattered to the sky.

He blinked in surprise, not expecting the reaction from her and suddenly, he threw his head back and laughed. "Indeed you did and you were good." He chuckled, returning to meet Kagome' shocked face.

"Hey! That wasn't funny!" She slapped his chest and he grasped it. She blushed more as he held her hand and his eyes turned dark molten gold. She swallowed. "I know that look…" She said nervously.

"And you didn't complain before." SesshoMaru smirked as he leaned his head down to capture her lips in searing kiss. She gasped once again and submitted to the passion. She moaned as his skillful lips and tongue ignited burning sensation inside her. "What do you decide?" He asked as he broke the kiss, still holding her flush to him.

She blinked at him speechless. Finally when she found her voice, "Uh, I can't deny my heart. I love you." She said with a brilliant smile and he smirked, "Good. Because I want you now." He said before recapturing her lips in fiery passion.

* * *

Kagome sighed in content as she curled up in his warm arms. Despite the cold air and the surrounding snow, she was warm and comfortable; her body flushes against his as they laid on pile of clothes and the Mokomoko-sama covering them, as they nested deep in the snow. She wondered in amazement how her two personalities had clashed and melded. She realized in the time she had lost her memory, she found a true love in the most unlikely place ever. She looked up to meet the questioning golden eyes as the large warm hand and sharp claws caressed her body, making hot trails. She shivered as he tickled her slightly and she hummed under her breath.

"No regrets?" He asked.

"Mm, no." She said as she butted her nose against his chin. "What about going to West Hold?" She asked as she nuzzled her nose against his Adam's apple. It vibrated with soft growl, tickling her.

"Not just yet. You still have one final decision. To accept becoming my mate and turn into a youkai." He said.

"Oh, that. I think I remember I said yes."  
"Sadako said yes. But what does Kagome says?"

"Good point. Seeing that I am both Kagome and Sadako," She stated as she moved to sit up and looked down at him. The cold air bit her skin as the warm Mokomoko-sama fell away from her body. Her breast perked and he grinned at her. "Oh, look at my face, you hentai." She rolled her eyes and slapped him slightly. "I say yes." She murmured as he grabbed her hand and pulled her down for another searing kiss. Between kisses, she asked, "But, how is that done?"  
SesshoMaru growled in annoyance for the interruption and flipped her over to make her lie on her back and he hovered above her. "It is not an act to be taken lightly. It takes a willing and fully devoted heart and soul to accept the change. Only ones with the powers given by the gods can choose to become a youkai, only through mating with a preferred youkai, binding his or her life to the youkai."

"So, you're saying, if I become your mate, and I am devoted to you, committed to accept this choice, I can become a youkai?"  
"Hai. No normal human being can. You're a Miko; you have the powers given by the gods. It is forbidden information to anyone, only the taiyoukai know this." He murmured as he trailed his tongue from her shoulder to the shell of her ear, making her moan. "The process is simple but dangerous. If you are not committed as we do this, you'll die."

She gasped as he blew into her ear and moved to tease her breasts. "I am committed, I want you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life, err, your life." She bit back another moan as he raked his claws down her waist and over her hips lightly. "I have nothing to turn back, all I have is what is ahead of me and ahead of me is with you." She threw her head back as he plunged right back into her for another session of love-making.

"Good, it begins now." He murmured and lowered his head to her mouth and kissed her thoroughly. After a good make out session with the love-making, he broke the kiss and ran his tongue over his sharp canine, "Drink until it ends." He said and lowered his head to transfer the blood from his mouth into her. She gasped as she tasted the metallic taste, tingling with youki. It burned as it went down her throat and down her stomach before spreading out to her limbs and her head. She gasped as the blood kept going; she drank without objection, her head becoming light-headed as she felt herself reaching the state of shattering orgasm.

When his cut healed, it was the end of his blood transfusion and he withdrew from her, seeing she was in state of bliss, he already could signify the change in her, her pupils in her eyes went from round to slit and her teeth developed into sharp canines and she was gripping onto him with sharp claws, causing some rivets of blood stream down his back where she was gripping. He kept pounding into her, bringing her to climax as he went to mark her. He bit into her shoulder and she screamed in mixture of pain and bliss as she shook violently under him. The taste of her blood was sweet and full of their powers mixed together. He came immediately, joining her into bliss and he threw back, roaring his announcement of his mate.

He collapsed upon her and she sighed when he rolled off her and they held each other, staring into each other's eyes for a long moment, settling their bodies from the intense orgasm they had. She finally noticed her claws and moved to feel her ears and teeth. She looked at him, "I'm a youkai already?"  
"Yep, an inuyoukai to be precise. However, you're not a silver one, but rather an ebony one." He grinned as he toyed with the strand of her hair. It had gained some bluish sheen to it. She smirked and cuddled closer to him.

"I feel different; I can sense you, the smell around us." She murmured and blinked as she looked to the sky, it had long been night and the stars were blinking overhead.

"We will go tomorrow to the West Hold and you will be introduced as the Lady of the West." He said as he pulled the Mokomoko-sama over them. She nodded wearily, her eyes drooping close. He smiled as he brushed her hair away, saying, "You are now my mate, Yokononishi." She looked up at him and smiled before closing her eyes to sleep, to dream of her new life as Lady Yokononishi.

* * *


	10. Ocean Child of the West

- Ocean Child of the West –

* * *

Kagome, or rather, Yokononishi woke up to the early dawn and stretched, bumping her hand against SesshoMaru. She rolled over to look at him and giggled as he scrunched his nose up and gave a tiny sneeze much like a dog when batted upon the nose. She poked him on the nose and said, "Ohyao SesshoMaru."

He tackled her and feigned attacking her, tickling her with his nose and his hands until she squealed in laugher and sat up, gazing down at her. "We must leave soon."

She nodded in agreement and sat up, "Is there anyplace for me to take a bath?"

His eyebrow rose, "And washes off my scent on you?"

She blushed prettily, "No, I am sure there is plenty of time for you to mark me as your territory but I rather love taking a bath, that's part of who I am as Kagome. I never really got the chance as Sadako; I am not quiet sure why the other humans believe its evil to bath so often. It's a no wonder why Kaida used to wear perfumes all the time."

SesshoMaru frowned at this information but didn't divulge into it. He nodded as he turned his head into the direction where he knew a hot-spring would be a short distance away. "Use your nose; you should be able to find it easily."

Kagome sniffed the air, trying to catch what he was trying to tell her. She caught the faint scent of sulfur and recognized it to be element of the hot spring. "It's that way, isn't it?" She pointed toward where the hot spring would be. She saw him nod and she jumped up, running nude toward the hot spring in speed she never ran. He growled, aroused as he saw her streak by and took chase after her.

An hour later, they took to the sky for the West Hold, which took few hours and they arrived, landing in the garden of the palace. Kagome gasped softly as she took in the sheer beauty of the palace itself. It was ancient, very ancient by the look of the place, settled deep in the mountain range, out of sight and well guarded.

The sedan rolled to a stop and servants came around, unhitching Ah-Un and SesshoMaru stepped out and turned to allow Kagome step out. She came out gracefully as she accepted SesshoMaru's hand. Several people came to greet them and couple of them was rather very loud.

"SesshoMaru-sama!" A bouncy cheerful girl came running to the taiyoukai and attached herself to his leg.

"Rin! Oh, SesshoMaru-sama, forgive me! Rin was wild and out of control!" a tiny green toad youkai came clambering after the young girl and bowed low on the ground before SesshoMaru.

The taiyoukai gave the toad a glance and turn to Rin, "Have you been good?"

"Hai! Rin misses you! Ooh, who is that pretty lady?" Rin asked as she detached herself from SesshoMaru's leg after a pat on her head. She looked up at Kagome and noticed the woman was a youkai. With her experience with youkai women in the palace, she was slightly warily and leaned over to whisper to SesshoMaru, "Is she nice?"

SesshoMaru turned to Kagome and spoke, "She is kind and she is my mate, Lady Yokononishi."

Several other lords who had gathered gasped in surprise and one stepped forward, he was a gray inuyoukai and known to be the record-keeper. "Milord! We have just only seen you recently, how is it you had gotten yourself a mate in very short time and without us knowing? How did you ever find time to court her?"

SesshoMaru turned to the group of the court lords and ladies and spoke with cold tone that spoke finality. "It would do you all good to not question her. For her past is none of your business. You will respect her as the Lady of the West and see that she is one."

The lords bowed and the first one who had spoken, "Forgive us, milord." They watched as SesshoMaru led a mysterious kuro-inuyoukai, showing her the palace as they passed them by. As SesshoMaru and Yokononishi disappeared into the palace with the toad and the human girl trailing after them, he spoke quietly, "SesshoMaru had not been himself lately, and first it was the toad, then the human girl and now, a mate of unknown origin."  
"Hai, Jackt." Another lord, Hastumaru spoke. "Yokononishi, unusual name. Ocean child of the west, I know none of the inus comes from the ocean."

A female nekoyoukai, Fumiko spoke up, "You men are a fool, it wouldn't mean where she had come from. Her eyes are blue, like the ocean, very rare for inuyoukai to have blue eyes. I sensed immense power from her. It would not do us any good to cross SesshoMaru, now he has chosen a mate, after many years of unmated status. He must have chosen her for a very good reason, so we better watch our toes and not cross even her line."

"She speak wisely, we shall watch and see how she is as our Lady of the West. If anything, we will bring it up to SesshoMaru-sama." The third lord, a brown bird-youkai, Katsumo said.

"Then, it will be you who bring it up because you mentioned so." The Jackt said and walked off.

The second female, also a bird-youkai, Manami trilled at him, "Maybe it's wise to choose your words before you speak them next time."

* * *

A week later in the palace, Kagome had proven herself to be a quiet and wise Lady of the West and she gave away nothing to allow any of the court lords or ladies to find faults. However, they had fallen to her charm and the doubts and wariness was soon forgotten and they've come to like her very much. She had shown herself to be exact opposite of SesshoMaru, where he was silent and stoic, she was cheerful, friendly and kind at the same time very social. She won the entire West Hold and held them in her hands by the end of the week.

SesshoMaru had just informed her that she would need to win over the taiyoukais that were coming to visit to meet her. To her understanding, it was an event, a special one rather for SesshoMaru because of his past; he had been known to be resilient to women's charms and turned down every offer of mating with other ladies of the courts for hundreds of years. She supposed it was shocking for him to show up one day with a mate in tow out of the blue. But she didn't care; all she cared was to be with SesshoMaru, just because he was the only thing left in her life.

She glanced into the mirror in the hallway, her hair had been combed and lying down her back and over her shoulder, and she was wearing white kimono with deep red obi with white sakura and red and yellow sash, the crest of the West. She reached up and traced the faint pale blue crescent moon upon her forehead, the symbol of the royal inuyoukai. From what she understood, to the other lords and ladies had spoken of how unusual for her to receive the symbol of the royal inuyoukai through mating.

It was a fabled myth that a female would receive her mate's mark signifying that she is the soul-mate of her mate. When she has her mate's mark, she would also receive his power and ability as her own and would be either terrible or great ruler, whichever her mate is. Both combined are twice powerful and inseparable and undefeatable. It had caused concern in the court of the West when they noticed the symbol upon her forehead. It wasn't noticeable the first day she had arrived because her forehead was covered by her hair. Now after it had been exposed, it had caused great commotion, even SesshoMaru himself was surprised to see the symbol on her forehead and wondered how he had not noticed it in the first place.

Kagome told him that it didn't show up until few days later and he understood. It wasn't until few days later that her body was settled and in sync with the new blood in herself and her aura had been stabilized. She had asked her if the others had noticed this in her and he told her they were not powerful enough to detect it, because it was on an extreme level where only few but powerful was able to detect. She was relieved, knowing SesshoMaru didn't want to expose her past, expose her true self to the others. She had come to the palace as Lady Yokononishi and she will remain as one for the rest of her days. Kagome was someone in private chamber with SesshoMaru and Sadako was merely faded away, her personality and knowledge as the base of Yokononishi's personality, combined with Kagome's everlasting positive attitude.

She sighed as she placed her hand down, staring at herself in the mirror. She felt as if there was something still missing from herself. The blue eyes stared back at her and she wondered which parents she had received her eyes color. It then hit her; she had no memory of who her parents were and where she was born. No memories of her childhood and friends, or brothers and sisters, if she had any. Swallowing hard, she thought back to her memories and realized she had no previous memories from before she turned fifteen. Her earliest memories were treading in the forest, lost and confused, then finding InuYasha pinned to the tree. She frowned, wondering how she had arrived from that point.

"Yokononishi, is there anything matters?" SesshoMaru asked as he approached her in the hallway, finding her staring into the mirror blankly.

She blinked and looked up to him. He had come to only call her by her real name in the private of their chambers and called her Yokononishi outside the chamber much like he had done when she was Sadako. She smiled at him; however it didn't reach her eyes. His silver brows furrowed as he approached her and he took her chin into his hand, tilting her head up. "Do not hide from me. Something is bothering you." He said simply, searching her blue eyes and he found confusion and fear within them.

"I just realized, I do not have memories of my past prior to meeting InuYasha." She told him.

His eyes widened a fraction and then narrowed slightly, "I suspects so."

She tilted her head as he let her chin go. "When?"

"The morning after you received your memories. You mentioned something and I thought it was off. So indeed, it was true, you do not know of your past, of where you come from."

"You do know, do you?"

"I know of where you come from, but I do not know of your past prior to meeting InuYasha. You're a unique person, for where you come from is very valuable information for anyone, so I will not tell you until we figure how we can help to get your memories back."

She sighed in hint of frustration, "I understand. Will I remember soon?"

"I do not know. I've arranged for your friends to come shortly after the taiyoukais leave. But I believe it is best that I change the plan and have your friends met both of us at the ocean estate, they are others who know you very well, know of your background."

Kagome understood why he had decided to change the location. The ocean estate was a much smaller but nice place where there was almost absolute privacy, for there were no servants or anyone else at the estate. It was a private retreat place for SesshoMaru, and now for both of them. "Very well. Are the other taiyoukais ready?"

He gave a single nod, "They are ready, if you are."

"I am." She said and laced her arm around his, walking demurely and quietly as he lead her toward the meeting room where she would be formally introduced to the other taiyoukais. She was slightly nervous in meeting them so soon after the conference, wondering if they would recognize her. SesshoMaru had assured her that they would not because they've only met Sadako, a human girl with white mask whereas they will be meeting an inuyoukai of a different name and the scents of Sadako and Yokononishi are entirely different.

She had teased him, saying that she was one girl who was a chameleon, confusing him with her scents and her bearing. He had tackled her then that morning, telling her that she would never confuse him because he know her too well to tell the difference. Then he told her that her scents still had the same base of sakura blossom and thunderstorm. It was the human death scent that usually overpowers the base scent of every human, now with her becoming youkai, the death scent became very minimal, for she had increased long life-span and her base scents had spiked and she also had his scent impregnated in her, signifying she is his mate. She had told him that she did indeed smell the scent of herself on him, not by much and asked if anyone could tell if he has a mate and he said yes, however, it was terrible enough that most youkai women ignored the code of scents and tries to convert a mated man, especially in the royal court, always going after wealth and fame.

It had worried her, to lose him to another woman. But he assured her that inuyoukai, unlike most of the other race of youkai; they mate for life and are very loyal to their mates. It would cause them great pain if they try to convert. It had settled her then.

Holding her head high, like a lady, she kept her back straight and she looked proud as she entered the garden where the other taiyoukais were waiting. She glanced around, meeting the other taiyoukais eyes; she had recognized them from the conventions and knew which were to be wary of and which to trust. The north and the south were the one she felt at ease with, however the eastern one had sneered at her upon entering and she knew immediately to be wary of the tiger youkai. They didn't come alone, but brought their mates.

SesshoMaru stepped aside, allowing Kagome to stand alone in the center and went over to the other taiyoukais and bowed his head to them in formal greeting. They did the same and SesshoMaru turned to gesture to each lord, introducing them to Kagome, "The Northern Lord, Shoujun." The eagle youkai smiled warmly at her as his yellow eyes blinked birdlike. She gave same warm smile to him.

"The Eastern Lord, Kanetora and his mate, Lady Arisu." The tiger youkai no longer had sneer but held stoic mask as he looked Kagome over. Her smile did not falter, but it left her eyes. She bowed to the tigress youkai and saw she was beautiful but cold, her face held a slight sneer as she looked Kagome over. Her eyes were amber and her hair was golden streaked with black and she wore elaborate kimono that looked far too heavy to wear.

Kagome gave the couple a nod and looked over to the rakish grinning kitsune, "The Southern Lord, Kiyoshi. You might want to watch out for him, he is a flirt and a tease." SesshoMaru joked lightly under his stoic mask and the other lords gaped at him. The female kitsune next to the Lord rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at SesshoMaru.

Kagome giggled. "You looked as if he had never joked in his entire life." Her voice was melodious and soft, causing the lords to sway to look at her.

The kitsune Lady spoke, "He hardly ever jokes. He is right, my mate loves to flirt, but he's very devoted to me." She glanced over to Kiyoshi who nodded. "I'm Lady Lixen." She bowed and grinned at Kagome. She had brilliant golden red hair that fell down to her waist in loose curls and a long thick four tails hanging down her butt outside her kimono and her kimono looked light and airy, for a lot of movements.

Lord Shoujun stepped forward and bowed to Kagome, taking her hand to kiss it. "Never he had been amusing in his entire life, even when he was a young boy. It had seem that you placed a spell upon him to be more positive. Perhaps it is indeed for your name does mean 'positive child of the west'."

SesshoMaru gave a slight possessive growl and Shoujun chuckled as he let Kagome's hand go. "I am not after your little mate here. I'm rather too old." He laughed and stepped back.

Kagome shook her head as she placed her hand upon SesshoMaru's arm. "Positive child, perhaps it is. But rather, it means 'Ocean child of the west' instead."

"I see, because of your unique eye colors." Kiyoshi quipped, his five red tails twitched, swaying behind him as he stepped up to bow to Kagome. "You're rather beautiful, where did SesshoMaru ever find you? With your beauty, you would had been claimed and stolen a long time ago."

Kagome blushed as SesshoMaru answered, "It is best to not question her past or where she came from."

Kanetora frowned as he spoke, "It is not wise to take in a mate without knowing her past, and it would cripple you."

SesshoMaru turned his fierce eyes to the tiger youkai, "I am aware of her past, but it is none of other business. I can simply say, our future lies in her past and it will come to reveal when we get there."

"Very well, I think its best that we keep an eye on her. You might never know." Kanetora sniffed and turned, whipping his tail as he went past them to take a seat where they would eat in the garden, his mate turning her nose up slightly and followed him.

"Ah, he's too uptight." Kiyoshi muttered as he followed the tiger youkai to take his place on the cushions surrounding a round table. His mate shrugged her shoulder and smiled at Kagome.

The northern lord glanced over to Kagome who turned to SesshoMaru with concern in her eyes. He had found the young mate of the western lord very familiar. It was her eyes that strike him very familiar, it was very much like the geisha that followed SesshoMaru recently at the convention and wondered where the young human girl went and how this beautiful kind and soft spoken youkai came from. He wondered if there were a connection and glanced up to see SesshoMaru pacifying his mate, settling her concern. He stepped up and smiled, "Where is your cute little human girl?"

SesshoMaru blinked and turned to the northern lord, "Rin? She is here and will not join us."

"Ah, not that little one, the other one. I've thought I'd meet her again… what was her name?" The eagle youkai thought and smiled, "Ah, Sadako." He watched Kagome for her reactions.  
Kagome blinked and bit back a smile and SesshoMaru nodded, "Sadako is no longer in my care. It is unfortunate we will not be seeing her for a long time."

"Ah, it was a pity, I've enjoyed her performances."

"Yes." SesshoMaru walked ahead to take his place with Kagome in tow.

They sat down and ate their meal, discussing some things they had discussed during the convention on personal level. Kagome was drawn in conversation between the ladies, however, it was mostly between herself and Lixen while Arisa sneered and sniffed over few things. Lixen never appeared to be bothered by Arisa's behavior but ingored her and chatted happily with Kagome, glad there was another lady she could talk to when they all get together in the future.

Lixen had come to love Kagome very immediately, liking her cheerful personality and she was shocked to find that Kagome was very, very young in age compared to the rest of them and wondered why SesshoMaru would choose a inexperienced and young mate. Kagome had never revealed her age but clued in that she was well under a hundred year old. SesshoMaru had warned her to not reveal her age because in youkai world, at seventeen, she was supposed to appear about Rin's age, not a grown woman as a youkai. It would cause the other to learn that she used to be a human and he didn't want that to happen.

Kagome had asked why, and SesshoMaru explained it was because not of her human heritage, but of who she is and it could draw connection to her past and reveal that she did indeed used to run with InuYasha and defeat Naraku. She is the carrier of the Shikon no Tama and he didn't want anyone to know she has immense power, almost equal to Kami himself. It was a strategy he wants to keep to himself and the Western Land if ever; in the future it would come to that.

He had suspected at some point between now and the future, the youkai world would come to face a something big that would drastically change the entire world. What Kagome didn't know, that at one point a long time ago, SesshoMaru had come across a book that was lost by Kagome, a history book from the future and SesshoMaru, curious as he ever was, he read it and was surprised to find such information and realized, it was dangerous for it to fall in anyone's hand. The said book currently was locked away in his office and no one knew of it, not even his most trusted servant, Jaken knew.

SesshoMaru, being a wise inuyoukai had connected the puzzle of why Kagome had come into the past. He could not deny fates and accepted the chances to take her under his wing and knew it was meant to be that she belongs to him. He knew she would come into a great but terrible power in the future and it would make her, possibility as he believe, a legendary woman. There was no hint of youkai in Kagome's history book, only mentioned as fabled legends and myth. One had caught his attention and he believed would cause the Youkai World cease to exist, in a hand of a legendary goddess empress with the ocean colored eye that had come from the west. It was one of the reasons why he was inspired to give her the name, Yokononishi, the Ocean Child of the West.

The hours wore on and the little taiyoukai party broke up, the other lords retreating to the chambers while Kiyoshi and SesshoMaru had went to his private study to discuss some other things over the matters between their alliances. Kanetora and his mate had declined to remain the night and had already left the West Hold to their kingdom.

Kagome sat in the garden, watching the night sky as she combed her hair, letting her thoughts wander. She came to think of her life, in short seventeen years, she had came a long way and it felt like hundreds of years and wondered if it were the youkai blood in her that made her felt like the time had stretched. She saw the star shoot past and wondered if she would make a wish and decided against it, she had more than enough now in her life. She is now a Lady of the West, which is considering a big title for one to hold, it was like holding the title of the Empress of Japan.

Her names, as she had come to have them, Kagome, Onnako, Sadako and then Yokononishi were like a milestone in her life. She knew she would hold them all dearly in her heart, remembering her lives as she had earned in the past two years for the rest of her life. She knew how she came to have Onnako, Sadako and Yokononishi, however, she doesn't know how she came to have Kagome and it lies deeper in her past and decided, one day, she would know.

It had led her to wonder why she only regained her memory since she was fifteen, not of before and supposed, the Shikon no Tama had decided it wasn't time for her to recall her past. It scared her slightly that there was possibility that her past was much worse than her time with InuYasha.

She blinked and looked up to see Shoujun approaching her. He bowed and gestured to the space on the bench where she sat. She nodded, giving him permission to sit. He spoke first, "SesshoMaru is like a son to me. When his father died, I took it up to myself to look after him, make sure he thrives in lordship over the Western land. I knew almost everything he had gone through in the past two hundred years. His history of rising as a lord is a rather very dark one."

Kagome nodded, knowing little of SesshoMaru's past. In the past week, she had been privately trained to be a lady and taught histories and many other things. It had surprised her to learn that she was well educated in many areas. "Hai, I know that." She said as she placed the comb down in her lap, allowing her hair to hang over her shoulder.

"Ah, do you know of the story of his half-brother?" The eagle youkai asked as he turned his yellow birdlike eyes to her.

"Hai. InuYasha. He was born two hundred years ago, when Lord Inutaisho died and the beginning of SesshoMaru's reign. He was a hanyou brother of his, rather an outcast by his own choice and imprisoned to the tree for fifty years after falling in love with a Miko. Yes, I know his story."

"Hm, you know the detail of InuYasha's story. Tell me, how did InuYasha come free from his bondage?"

Kagome blinked and thought, "Didn't anybody know this? A human girl freed him and it was the beginning of their journey in searches of the Shikon no Tama."

"Interesting," Shoujun murmured as he looked to the sky. "The Shikon no Tama disappeared for fifty years, only to reappear, shattered and broken."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "The girl shattered it accidently."

Shoujun grinned as he turned back to her, "Ah, no one knows this information except those who travels with her and Naraku."

She gasped, realizing her mistake. "What are you saying?"

"I also looked after InuYasha, followed his life as well. No hanyou manage to live to adulthood, and he was the only one because of my interference in his life, he will never know this, but I made sure he lived through his childhood and grow into a young adult; it was a pity he was killed in the end. However, as for the Shikon no Tama, I knew it was shattered by the young girl by the name Kagome." He heard her gasp softly. "A unique human girl who came from no where, her past was mysterious and she wore outlandish clothes. Ah, there was one distinctive thing about her that set her apart, her eyes." He looked at her, meeting her eyes. "They were blue."

She blinked and stared at him. "What are you getting at?"

"You see. Lord Inutaisho was like a son to me, I looked after him, and his sons much like grandchildren to me, I looked after them and I know everything about them. When InuYasha died, I mourned as if my own child died. But it had strike me odd, that the girl, this Kagome disappeared, along with the Shikon no Tama. Then, a year later, not too far from the battlefield where InuYasha died, the convention began and SesshoMaru chose a young human maiko, becoming her danna." He sighed, "In all of SesshoMaru's lives, I knew him to be against geisha and that kind of sort. It was unusual for him to take one in immediately. Do you know she also had blue eyes?"

"Really?"

"Yes. She was rather a pretty little thing, shy and demure, also very talented. Too talented like Kagome. They both shared similar common ground."

"What were they?" She asked softly.

"Blue eyes, as you know this and the extraordinary display of power that come from the Miko ability in both of them. However, this geisha, Sadako, her was rather weaker on some level but still unique." He turned fully to her, "Now, I had expected to see Sadako here in the palace, knowing she had left with him from the city, but she is no where to be found, instead, I'm introduced to you, Yokononishi, SesshoMaru's new mate, which is also unusual, he had never courted any female or accepted any to my knowledge."

"So, you're telling me all about the women in SesshoMaru's life, they all had blue eyes, couldn't it just be something he preferred?"

"No. I believe they are all one and same woman, Yokononishi, or rather, Kagome." He said.

"Ah, I suppose you found her out." SesshoMaru spoke, stepping toward them. He glanced to Kagome who looked pale. He bowed his head, "I trust him. Only he would be able to figure it out, he knows my life too well to make the connection. Lord Shoujun, I would appreciate that no one else knows that she is the same Kagome that traveled with my half-brother."

The eagle youkai stood up from the bench and held his hand out to Kagome who warily took it and stood up. "I would not say a word, for it will die with me. I'm curious, why her, of all the other youkai women to be your mate?"

SesshoMaru looked to Kagome and reached out to trail his fingers through her silky black hair, gazing into her blue eyes. "She's unique. She was the only woman who could stand up to me and survive. I respect that. As Kagome, she didn't care who I was, all she cared about those who she loved and in the end before Naraku, we had came to neutral ground where we respected each other mutually. It was not my wealth or title she saw me for, but it was who I am."

Kagome smiled and stepped up to stand next to SesshoMaru and laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He continued, looking at the older youkai. "As I found her in the district, as Onnako, with no memories of her past, she also didn't see me for my wealth or title either, but as someone. She worked hard to see me again, knowing there was something in her heart that draws her to me. I could not ignore this and felt the need to protect her in such environment. When I bought her, I could not turn her away or use her. She became mine that night alone."

"Fitting," Shoujun said, smiling. "I wouldn't approve of any other union but yours. Granted, Kagome is unique and I am glad it is her that won your heart over underneath all the ice." He chuckled as Kagome blushed and SesshoMaru rolled his eyes.

"It is best for us to turn in. She is still used to the human standard of sleeping each night." SesshoMaru said as he saw Kagome yawn behind her hand.

"Hai. Kagome," Shoujun said as he turned to her and bowed, "I would suggest you to watch your toe and earn yourself a place in youkai world as you have done in the Geisha world. I believe you will soar to the top one day. I can see that in your eyes." He took her hand and kissed it. "You are now a daughter of my heart, Yokononishi." He stood up and left.

Kagome blinked and a tear fell from her eyes. "He is very kind."

"Hai. It is not usual in youkai society. It is rather different from humans. We are much more cruel and resilient. I am afraid; you will see several bloodshed and wars in your lifetime."

"I know." She murmured as he led her back into the palace.

* * *


	11. Fiery Ocean

- Fiery Ocean –

* * *

From Kagome's knowledge of the years, though she had no idea but suspected it was from farther back in her past, it was the year 1501 and she had been Lady Yokononishi for almost a year since and things were fairing very well in the Western Land for her. They loved her, they adored her because she came out and helped the people, youkai and human alike, and making the West thrives much more than ever.

SesshoMaru, he had stepped back and allowed Kagome to take reign of his household and many villages in the Western Land, watching and seeing how she would fare as their Lady of the West. A year later, she had proven herself to his expectation and much more. Thanks to her, his wealth and positions of power was far much more than he could ever imagine. She won nearly everyone over for him alone, and extended farther into the Northern Land and the Southern Land. She had tried to win over the Eastern, but it was no avail, Lord Kanetora and Lady Arisu wouldn't have it. They even went to the extent to ban her and SesshoMaru from their land.

He had reconciled the old battered history book from the future and saw that it would be before the era of Odo Nobunga that the youkai world would cease to exist. It had caused him a great concern, wondering if the youkai would all be killed off by then, but then he was reminded, Kagome wouldn't allow that to happen, therefore, something else would happen to cause such thing to come. He learned from Kagome, that it was indeed the year 1501 and to the book, Oda Nobunga appeared and changed Japan in 1580s. Eighty short years to go before the world he knew of youkai to cease.

It had baffled him, seeing how his mate had truly prospered in the past short one year, bringing his entire land completely on their knees before Lady Yokononishi and thriving never like before. How can a land prosper before it would fall? He would ask this each time he watches Kagome do her duties as a lady.

There were troubles stirring up in the Eastern Land. Lord Kanetora had pretty much cut everyone outside his land off and he was building army within his land. The other three lands weren't sure who he would strike next. They all knew he had vendetta against three lands, the North because Lord Shoujun was giving the land over to SesshoMaru to rule after he passes away, the South because the south was in alliance and was on better term with the North and the West. Lastly, the West, which Lord Kanetora held the highest vendetta against, because SesshoMaru was too powerful and he didn't like Lady Yokononishi, she was suspicious and he feared her after he had seen how she won everyone over very easily in less than a year, earning herself a high place in the court. It was no secret he wanted the Shikon no Tama and was furious that it had disappeared several years ago in the hand of the Western Land's hanyou brother.

Indeed, troubles stirring were a cause for an upcoming war. Both Lord SesshoMaru and Lord Kiyoshi were prepared; they had amassed their armies, trained them and had them set waiting for the first hint of war.

Lady Yokononishi was growing each day, in spirit and mind. She knew what was coming and she knew it would be the sign of time changing. How she knew, she had no idea but it was stirred deep in her heart and each day, she prepared for the moment it would happen. She trained under SesshoMaru's careful tutelage and studied the scrolls that was in both SesshoMaru and Shoujun's libraries, learning everything she needed to know and applied her skills in the people of the lands. It was one of the result, winning them over. She had won enough people to increase SesshoMaru's army three time it's size. His army was already the largest but with her help, it was stronger and undefeatable. She even came up with strategies to train them and set up housing and fund for the soldier's families.

Simply, they loved her. She is Lady Yokononishi and she had become nearly the entire Japan's Empress. Even the human Emperor and Empress loved her and depended on her for her wisdom after she befriended them.

"My, my… what did you do to her?" Kikuya asked as she had arrived to the West Hold to visit her cousin, Lord SesshoMaru. It had been a year since she had seen him last and he had extended invitation for her to visit. It was the first time she had ever visited the Western palace in hundreds of years since she was a child. She was curious and grabbed the opportunity to come. She even heard about SesshoMaru's new mate, Yokononishi and the rumor circulated around about her, it was enough to make her suspicious that Yokononishi was Sadako. But she wasn't sure. All she knew SesshoMaru took Sadako from the Haiga Sakurai district, whisking her off to the West and she disappeared, never to be mentioned again.

SesshoMaru smirked at his pretty cousin and leaned back from his desk he was working over some scroll before she had arrived. "Kikuya. I didn't expect you until next week."

She rolled her eyes and flounced into the office, propping herself down before the desk and smiled. "When I got your letter, I left immediately. I have to come here. I miss Sadako and I'm wondering what you did to her, after all, there was no letters or anything from her. It's like she disappeared. Did you kill her?" She looked around, as if she was looking for someone or something. Then she leaned over, whispering dramatically, "Or did your new mate kill her out of jealousy, this Yokononishi?"

SesshoMaru chuckled at her as he sat up. "No. In fact, Yokononishi was the one who requested your presence here." He looked up to the door as it opened behind Kikuya. Kikuya gasped and turned around to see Yokononishi, beautiful youkai in her glory. She shrieked really loud as she recognized the blue eyes. "Sadako! It is you!" She got up and ran to grab Kagome and hugged her.

Kagome laughed. "Kikuya, it's really good to see you again." She said as she was let go and they came to sit down before the desk.

"SesshoMaru! I didn't expect this from you! I thought you would make her one of your concubine in the palace…" Kikuya stopped as she saw the scowl on SesshoMaru's face and turned to Kagome, "Uh, did I say something wrong?"  
Kagome laughed again, "No. SesshoMaru never had a harem and he would not start one. He made me into his Lady of the West. I am Lady Yokononishi now, no longer Onnako or Sadako."

Kikuya nodded, smiling and studying Kagome before her, amazed how a shy demure Maiko she once trained turn into a legendary Lady of the West in short time. Yokononishi was a true beauty, her ebony hair that hung down her back, nearly to her waist and jewels adorned her forehead and the top part of her head. She wore very slight make-up, only accenting her blue eyes to shine brighter. Her kimono was of the West's crest, in gold and blue with red silk haori over. She indeed looked more of a goddess than a simple Lady. "SesshoMaru tells me you requested me to be here."  
"Hai. Not for just a visit. I need your help." Kagome said, cutting the chase. "We have troubles brewing in the East and SesshoMaru can't send his scouts or spies, it would breach the contract between the East and the West. However, I have an idea and he approves, it kind of loop around the contract."  
Kikuya's eyes went wide, "Ooh, sound exciting." She giggled.

"It's dangerous as well." Kagome continued. She went into the plan and by the end of the day; the plan was set and prepared. Kikuya left and did her part of the plan and soon, Kagome was ready to put her intelligent and cunning in to aid the West in the time of upcoming war.

* * *

"Okay, Sadako, Momo, Ginko." Kikuya said as she glanced at the three women before her. They were dressed in finest silks, their hair set on their hair in complicated buns, decorated with jewelry and their face painted white, their eyes lined with red and black, their lips painted deep shining red. Sadako held two fans in her hands; they were concealed weapon of blades, much like Kagura's own. Momo had a shamisen in her hand, it was also another concealed weapon, for its neck itself was the blade. And Ginko had a long flute, which doubled up as blow dart with the most poisonous, couresty of SesshoMaru, dart concealed as pins in her hair.

Yokononishi had learned that the lesser lords of the Eastern land were gathering together to discuss the war plan and requested for Geisha to make appearance, performing for them. They loved the Geisha and frequently asked for them to make appearance during their meetings. Little they knew Yokononishi was sending the Geisha to doom them.

Sadako, she looked slightly different than she used to from her days of Geisha. Her eyes weren't blue, but brown and her scents smelled like apple blossom instead of Sakura and thunderstorm. She had to change her appearance because several of the Eastern Lord knew the blue-eyed Sadako, a human girl belonged to SesshoMaru and it wouldn't do any good if she appeared.

They entered the room, the four Geisha bowed to the group of lords and generals, who were already drunk. They cheered and Kikuya motioned for the women to play music. Sadako moved to the center and danced a performance, teasing and flirting with the lords. They laughed and flirted back while they went on with their meeting.

Soon, Sadako heard enough. She had almost everything and when the night was over, she settled to serve one of the upper lesser lords, who happened to be Lord Kanetora's top general. She poured him a cup of strong sake. With deft move, she added a component to the drink through her finger. She handed the sake to him and smiled, "My lord, here." She giggled as he stumbled to drink and she helped him. As she helped him to drink, she nodded as she watched the drink take effect.

Quickly enough, the other three Geisha whipped out and deftly killed all of the lords in the room; leaving the one Sadako was with alive. He gasped and struggled to move and defend himself when he realized the other lords were already dead. "What… what did you do?" He strained.

Sadako moved to kneel in front of him, she pulled out a knife from her elegant hairdo and waved it in front of him, the light glistened off the blade and she held it up to his neck. The component in the drink made him immobile and with her special addition, it also forced him to tell the truth. "Well, you see here, I need to know everything Lord Kanetora is planning. I know enough what you are planning. But I need one more thing." She said, coldly as she watched his eyes widen.

"I will never tell…" He gagged and looked up to see Sadako's eyes melt from brown into blue, her scents changed. He gasped, "Yokononishi!" His yell was strangled.

"When will Lord Kanetora move in?" She asked, digging the blade deeper into his neck, causing the skin to break. "It doesn't matter if you tell me before or after you die, I will know. You cannot deny."

His voice was strangled as he fought to not tell her. "What did you do to me?" He finally asked.

Kagome sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Simple chemistry; serum from the truth beetle, paralyzing poison from an exotic flower in my garden. Now, when?" She demanded as she dragged the blade to make a long line of blood.

He winced as the pain was terrible. He realized the blade itself had another poison on it, to burn upon the contact of his skin. Staring into Yokononishi's eyes, he had heard of rumors about her. How she was a kind woman, winning the heart of the people, human and youkai alike and her wise rulership. He had expected for her to be a feeble woman but kneeling before her was a cold woman, her eyes showed nothing but ice and malice, he knew, Yokononishi was not a woman to be messed and understood why SesshoMaru would take her as his mate; it was something SesshoMaru would do. She had played him into her hands and he had nothing. Lord Kanetora was a fool to go against SesshoMaru. He had nothing to lose right now, he decided to tell her. There as no hint of mercy in her eyes. "On the new moon next month." He finally told her.

Kagome nodded. "Good. Now you didn't take too long to tell me, you earn a swift death." She said and with a quick move, she beheaded him. She stood up and turned to the other women. "Let's clean this place up and get out of here." She ordered them and went on to helping them.

Kikuya gave a nod and went to help immediately. She was surprised at first at the plan when she first heard it. It wasn't something she expected from Sadako. With Yokononishi, she saw a different person in the woman she had took under her wing few years ago. She wondered what made Sadako become into Yokononishi and how she came to have a hard demeanor for war. She suspect SesshoMaru had his reason for Sadako and saw something in her that was useful to him. Now she could see how Yokononishi was useful to SesshoMaru and how the taiyoukai truly cared for her.

Kikuya didn't realize, the moment she returned to the West Hold, she would not return to the Hiaga Sakurai district for a long time. Yokononishi had dragged her deep into the war. She never returned the same person she was afterward.

As SesshoMaru received when Lord Kanetora was going to move in, sure enough, he did indeed did the first step in bringing out the war. It was not even the new moon as he had predicted but two weeks earlier because he was enraged to find all of his lesser lord maimed and killed, hung outside his palace as a warning. SesshoMaru and Kiyoshi went in, sending their armies and the youkai battled.

Kagome stood out on the balcony, watching the border of the east, she could see the smoke rising in the distance, where the battle was raging. It had been several months since it had begun. She sighed. Lord Shoujun was killed, assassinated in his own sleep and it was all for nothing. Kanetora had expected to seize the Northern Land but only to find that the North was already under SesshoMaru's rule for a quiet while. Kanetora was resilient, he wouldn't give up.

Miroku and Sango had returned, staying with Kagome for short time. They found her out on the balcony from the throne room. "Lady Kagome." Miroku said as he bowed.

Sango stepped up to Kagome and gave her a hug. "Are you all right? The humans knew of the war going on. They wouldn't get involved."

Kagome nodded. "SesshoMaru doesn't want the humans to be involved. We are not asking them to." She said as she turned to her friends. They saw that Kagome had changed; her eyes showed that she was wise and older beyond her years and no longer the young teenage girl they knew. They could feel the power radiating off her and it was frightful. "You're afraid of me." She simply said as she saw the hint of fear in their eyes.

Miroku bowed his head, in shame. "Forgive us, Kagome. You're not like what you used to be. You're very different now and it is very hard for us to not be afraid of you."

Kagome looked away, her eyes grazing the horizon of the Western Land. "I understand. I don't even know myself." She murmured.

They understood and knew that she had no memories of her past before meeting InuYasha and SesshoMaru had asked them to not tell her. It was something she need to gain on her own. Kagome also agreed. When they came to the Ocean Estate, they brought Shippo and Kagome was thrilled to have him back and asked him to stay with her. He agreed and lived at the palace as a regent prince to the Western Land, adopted by Lord SesshoMaru. Shippo was glad to be with his mother again after missing her for nearly two years. However, he was wary of Kagome the entire time, sensing the change in her and he kept himself busy with Rin, staying out of the Lord and the Lady's ways. They knew the time of war was something they should never interfere and never questioned it.

"You are who you are as you make yourself to be." Sango said softly as she touched Kagome's arm, bringing Kagome to look at her. She smiled.

Kagome nodded. "I don't feel like Kagome much, I'm mostly Yokononishi, the war brings out the worse in me. I've killed, I've tortured and many other things. Kagome would never do that."

Sango choked a stifled sob. "Yes, Kagome wouldn't. But you're Yokononishi, you can't help that. You have to do that, in the time of war."

"I wonder," Miroku began as he looked out to the eastern border. "How long will this war be?"

Kagome shook her head, her long hair swaying behind her as the ornament on the top of her head bounced slightly. "I don't know. It's just the prelude to the bigger one. SesshoMaru believe this war is something that I am going to make myself out and it would take several years at least." She said and turned to face the horizon. "He's calling me. He needs me." She said simply and stepped away from the balcony. "Look after the children." She said, giving them a smile and soon, they watched as she turned into a white-blue orb, zipping off toward the horizon where the war is.

"I wonder what InuYasha would said if he saw her now." Miroku asked quietly as he looked on.

Sango wiped her face off the tears. It had broken her heart to see how much Kagome had changed. "If InuYasha was still alive, he wouldn't never allow Kagome to live the life she had since he died. It would have been so different."

"The Kami indeed do have a plan for Kagome. It was not Kagome who we were talking to just now."Miroku said.

"Yes. It was Yokononishi."

* * *

The war kept going for years. It was close to the ninth year and the Eastern Land was left in ruin. The armies on the eastern side had diminished greatly. Villages was plundered and pillaged, destroyed. Women and children of the Eastern Land was killed and maimed. Fire scorched the land, the rain poured harshly, never allowing the vegetation to grow. The Eastern Land crumbled, all under the power of one, Lady Yokononishi, who had, in short time regarded as a ferocious goddess with all the power she had. She manipulated the weather to her liking, doing more harm to the East and ordered the army to kill and raze on her whim.

Lord Kanetora knelt before the tall regal Yokononishi in her glory. The rain poured heavily around them, bitter and cold. SesshoMaru stood behind her, watching on as he held on the two legendary blades in his hand, the Tokijin and Tenseiga. The rain had long washed the blood off them. Lord Kioyshi, the friendly spark was gone from his emerald eyes; he looked on coldly beside SesshoMaru. His mate were also standing next to him, holding dual daggers in her hands, for she was involved in the war too after seeing Yokononishi were also involved.

Shortly after Kagome had left the West Hold, leaving Rin and Shippo in Miroku and Sango's hands, she never returned because she stayed to help in the war. SesshoMaru gave the entire control of the war to Kagome after a year and since then, he followed her without objections. Even, he was fearful of her. Several times, he had clashed with her over some petty subject, she showed her wrath in the worse way and he wondered if he had truly placed his life on the line that moment.

Kanetora looked up at Yokononishi, who stood before him, the cold rain pouring down on them. It was a dark day and Yokononishi's eyes burned bright, ferocious blue as she glared at him. In her hand, she held Tessaiga. She had long earned to use it and used solely as her main weapon, she channeled her power in the weapon, increasing its ability hundred time fold and she had the ability to raze thousands at once. Several times in the climaxes of the war, she razed and went through Kanetora's armies.

Yokononishi's cold voice rang in the air, clear and cut above the pouring rain. "Submit your defeat. You have nothing left."

Kanetora glared at her. His army was few now, indeed true to her words, he had nothing left. He had fought hard and long, using up all of his sources and now, kneeling before Yokononishi, he had nothing. Holding his head high, he kept his mouth shut.

"So be it." Yokononishi said and lifted the sword, with a quick movement, Kanetora was beheaded. She turned and faced SesshoMaru and the others. "The Eastern Land is no more." She looked to the sky and held her hand up. The rain stopped pouring and the cloud broke away to reveal the night sky, the stars shining brightly, yet it was a somber night. She looked down to SesshoMaru. "The land is your, Lord SesshoMaru."

"Thank you, my mate." He bowed to her and sheathed his swords. He stepped up to her and held out his hand. "Shall we go home?

She gave a small nod and sheathed Tessaiga and took his hand. She turned to Lord Kiyoshi and Lady Lixen. "Thank you for your aid. We will help you to recover." She saw them nod and turned to SesshoMaru, stepping into his embrace and soon, they were gone in orb of light, heading to the Western Land, leaving behind a broken and ruined Eastern Land.

To SesshoMaru's prediction, the war had caused the division between the humans and youkai. It had been very long time since the humans seen a youkai because they were all involved in the war and there was not very many surviving youkai after the war. Population of the youkai had diminished to nearly half. Yokononishi had set out a policy for the youkai to never interact with the human ever again, dividing them up.

From the end of the war, in 1510 was the last time a human being saw a youkai and over the next several decades to 1575, youkai faded away into the background, finding another way to merge and mingle with the human, flourishing once more, abiding by Yokononishi's policy. She had warned them that the human will thrive and develop within the next four hundred years and the society of the youkai is in danger if they were exposed to the human race.

Oda Nobunga, the famous key figure of the Japan appeared in 1580s and history fell in place for Japan from there on. The youkai society became a fabled legend and mythology, never to be sighted or known for real from there on.

Kagome smiled softly, it had never reached her eyes anymore after the end of the war. She sighed as she sensed her son, grown into a young man appear behind her. "Mother, what is the matter?" He asked. He had not seen her for nearly nine years while she was away in the war and she had returned, changed and the smile never reached her eyes and he was concerned for her.

"I don't know." She simply replied. "I have everything one could ask for. I am considered a goddess among the youkai. Yet, I feel my heart is missing something." She said as she turned to her kitsune son. She smiled, proud how he grew up into a wonderful young man.

"Could it be the memories from the past that is making you feel sad?" Shippo asked.

She frowned. "Could it be? It feels like it's much more than that."

SesshoMaru appeared behind Shippo as he had been walking down the hallway and overheard the two talking. "What would you want to do now, love?" He asked.

Kagome turned to SesshoMaru and gave him a warm smile. He noticed indeed her eyes were sad as well. "What do you suggest would help me to find out what is bothering me?"

Shippo looked to his adoptive father, "Chihi-ue, maybe she should go and visit Edo; it had been a long time she had been there last. The Goshinboku tree misses her presence."

"Ah." SesshoMaru knew of the tree, it had become a marker for InuYasha's memorial. He gave a nod, giving permission. "Perhaps, the spirit of InuYasha will help you." He said simply, watching Kagome for her reaction. He saw none and was concerned. Since the war begun, the essence of Kagome started to disappear, now, ten years later, after the war, he almost couldn't find a hint of Kagome in his own mate and it made him concerned because it was Kagome who drew him to her. He wanted her back and his last hope was InuYasha, hoping that perhaps, the spirit of his half-brother would help her.

Shippo blinked and sighed deeply. "I'll take you tomorrow, mother." He then turned and left, leaving the two alone.

SesshoMaru stepped up to Kagome and tilted her chin up to have her look at him. "Who do I have now?" He asked softly.

She met his amber gaze and found concerns and fears in his eyes. "Yokononishi is only here." She replied a little bit sadly.

* * *


	12. Water Through Age

- Water through Age -

* * *

Shippo smiled as he saw his mother approaching the clearing of the well, she looked beautiful as always in the silk kimono. She looked every bit a goddess but he knew she was simply a youkai Lady, but it never stopped him from having her as his mother.

"Kagome-mama, do you even remember this well?" He went to her and saw her smile at him. Her smile warmed his heart. It had never ceased to lose its power, the smile of hers, yet it didn't reach her eyes as it used to.

She had arrived that morning with Shippo, they were careful to keep away from the village of Edo, to not arouse them to their presence. She could hear some children far off somewhere playing, still at the safe distance. The clearing was familiar as she remembered herself appearing out of the well countless time to greet InuYasha in her past. It still eluded her where the well went and why it would connect to her past before her fifteenth birthday.

"Hai, Shippo. I remember the well. But where does it go?" She asked as she stopped before the Goshinboku Tree, where she had first met the hanyou. Looking up to the tree, her hand splayed on the ancient wood, feeling the hole, it stirred some familiarity inside her. She knew it was the hole where the arrow had pierced, holding InuYasha in his fifty year slumber.

"The Goshinboku tree. It remembers you." Shippo said, feeling the wave of aura that the great old tree sent out. It wrapped around the both of them as if hugging them. He smiled in wistfulness. "It misses InuYasha."

"Hai, I feel it too." She said as she rested her head upon the trunk of the tree.

Shippo frowned, "Mama, you still doesn't remember where you came from?"

Kagome shook her head, "No, but does it matter? I'm here, I am where I belong, I am happy, I have my son, you. I have SesshoMaru and I have my friends." She said turning to him.

Shippo stood and led her back toward the ancient well, it sat in the clearing, large as ever, vines grew around it, and there were some pretty blossoms here and there. "Still, it is important for one to know where they came from. I still remember my real mama and papa before you became my mama. Do you remember your own mama?"

Kagome stared down the well's depth, trying to conjure up the image of her own mother. Brown friendly eyes, short hair, and sweet smile, it was all she could remember, nothing more. It had never bothered her before and it didn't bother her, but the only thing bothered her was that she didn't care when she should. It troubled her.

"Shippo, is it cruel to not care that I do not remember?"  
The kitsune shrugged his shoulder, "I think it is sad. You came from another place through the well. The only other person was able to pass through was InuYasha, too bad, he is not here to tell you of where you came from. Do you feel any power from the well?"  
Kagome held out her hand over the wooden ledge of the well and shook her head; it felt like a normal piece of wood, nothing more. "No power, nothing special. Bone-eater well, eh? I don't even feel any youkai aura from the bones down there."

Shippo shook his head, "At least, you got us." He turned, gazing out to the village below the hill. He recalled his youth in the village, sad to not be able to return. Kaede had passed years ago in her old age and he wondered if anyone in the village still remembered him and the group.

Kagome smiled at him, turning to follow him. Suddenly, several children burst out of the wood from the field on the other side, giggling and shouting. Shippo turned and gasped, unexpected for the children to be still playing near the well. They jumped on him and started to tickle him, giggling as they were unafraid of him.

Surprised from the sudden outburst of the kids, she stepped back and tripped on her own kimono and the back of her knees collided with the edge of the well. Despite her graceful balance, she wheedled for a moment and a small yelp emitted from her lips, she fell backward into the well.

Shippo sat up, hearing her tiny yelp, he saw the colorful swathes of kimono disappearing down the lip of the well. He jumped, abandoning the kids on the grass, with his youkai speed to grab Kagome but he was too late, she was gone with the flash of blue light.

In the distant, a ghosty figure of a young man with dog ears and red kimono, watching the scene, he smiled softly and looked to his right where a woman with long ebony hair and red and white kimono returned the smile. "She will remember now." He said.

"Hai. She's rather unique; I can see why you would love her so."

"Mmhm." The male hummed and soon, they faded away from sights.

His eyes widened with horror, "Oh crap. It worked after all those years." He felt as if the shadow of doom had landed upon him as he felt the powerful youkai entering the area.

"Kit, where is my mate?" The cold voice sent chills down Shippo's spine as he looked up to meet his adoptive father's cold gaze. He knew SesshoMaru was going to come around soon after they had arrived to the place. The kids had long scampered off before SesshoMaru made his appearance.

"Eh, SesshoMaru-Sama… she…" He stammered.

SesshoMaru wasn't amused, "Shippo, where is she? I smell her but she is no where in sight."

"She fell…" Shippo pointed to the well, "The portal opened up, there's only one other place the portal would send her, home."

SesshoMaru's eyes narrowed to slits, red bleeding the gold, "Home, as in the future, where she originally came from?"  
"Hai."  
"The well has no power." He growled as he looked down and jumped into the well.

Shippo looked down to the bottom of the well and found SesshoMaru standing there, looking stoic but his hand had gouged the wall from his rage. "You can't pass through the portal."

SesshoMaru leapt out of the well, standing beside Shippo, "How can InuYasah pass through before?" He asked, his knuckles cracking.

Shippo looked frantic as he tried to recall, "He has tie to Kagome, and it was the only way it worked…. Right, you have tie to her as well… Uh, uh, the rosary… right, I remember now! The rosary had a shard, because the Shikon was Kagome's essence and it tied him to her. You need a shard, that's how it works."

"She has the Shikon, if you recall, in her soul." SesshoMaru growled.

Shippo nodded, "But it's not complete, right. We will have to find a shard somewhere, somehow. It was the reason she was still missing her memories, wasn't it?" True to his word, after Kagome had absorbed the Shikon no Tama, she had learned that there was a tiny fragment that was missing from the Shikon no Tama and Midoriko had told her during the war when she sought her out that it was intended on the ancient Miko's part, to be missing until the time came.

SesshoMaru pivoted and was gone from the clearing, Shippo stared where the Lord took off, and soon, he heard a loud roar shaking the sky. The youkai Lord was pissed and he was scared shitless.

* * *

Kagome had expected to hit the bottom of the well with force but she was enveloped with blue light, gently swirling around her and instead of headfirst, she landed on the bottom gently feet first. She clutched her chest, trying to still her beating heart. No matter if she was a youkai or a hardened warrior she still get fear rush much like a human girl would get.

Blinking, her eyes quickly adjusted to the unexpected darkness, she looked up to find herself on the bottom of the well, and there was roof above the well. Confused, she glanced around and found a ladder leading to the top. Deciding to climb up, she carefully made her way to the top, the best she could do in swathes of kimono. It wasn't easy but years of training to move quickly and agility in layers of silks gave her ways to the top, even without ripping a strand. She landed on the hard dirt outside the well and leaned against the edge.

Her hand, as it rested on the ledge of the well, she felt the fleeting power of the well and gasped, realizing, wherever she had gone, she had no way back. Her eyes widened as the thought of never seeing SesshoMaru ever again was enough to still her heart. Shaking with confusion, fear and uncertainty, she turned and found her way out of the small enclosed space of the well house and into the courtyard of some kind of shrine.

The sun shone on her face, much as it had done not too long ago, she looked up to the blue sky, there was lot less tree and the surrounding was walled. Everything was strange to her, yet somewhere in the distant of her mind, she was comforted, knowing she was safe.

Standing tall and regal, her kimono fell around her body in ripples and stilled. Her hair, not even out of place after the fall was immaculate, long as it trailed down her back and the ornament sat on top of her head, not even out of place too. She was every picture of a noble goddess. Her cerulean eyes took in the courtyard and finally landed on a young boy, not much older than Rin when she first met her years ago. He was oddly dressed and yet he looked so familiar. Staring at him, he had not yet noticed her, playing in the yard, tossing a black and white ball around.

The boy turned around and the ball dropped to the ground, forgotten. He stared at her with look of awe. Suddenly, he shouted, giving her fright, "Mom! There's a weird lady here!"  
Aniko heard her son's cries from the yard and stepped out of the kitchen's back door to see and she saw the lady her son was yelling about, standing outside the well house. She looked like a princess out of a feudal fairy tale, lost and confusion on her face. She stepped out, her father following close behind her as well.

She couldn't help but admire the kimono she wore, it was layer upon layer of different silk, in beautiful and rich design, and she was sure fetched high price, perhaps more than a king's ransom. She caught sight of how her hair was done, tied up in simple but elegant up-do with the rest of her hair hanging down her back, possibly past her knees with gold, silver and pearl ornaments. She even caught glimpse of jade in her jewelry.

"My Lady, are you lost?" Aniko asked and stopped as the woman turned to face her. She caught of her face, simple yet very beautiful, she had designs upon her face, an pale indigo crescent moon on her forehead and her eyelids were magenta while her lips were deep red, it looked like make up yet there was no sheer or shine of wax and she realized at the moment, the woman was a youkai and a quick look to the ears confirmed it. She grabbed hold of her father who happened to show up too and hissed, "Show respect, Father!"

Sure enough, her father understood and held his urge to shout purification and throwing o-fuda. Aniko caught sight of her blue eyes and gasped as she realized who the woman was, "Kagome?"

Kagome stared at the woman and she had uttered her name, only that SesshoMaru or her closest family knew. Could this be her real family that Shippo was talking about? She wondered and tried to find familiarity but she couldn't. The woman seemed to be kind and sweet but it was lost upon her. "Hai…" She looked lost and confused.

Aniko caught the desperate look upon her changed daughter's face, "Kagome, do you remember us?" Her heart nearly stilled as Kagome shook her head, "Oh," She stepped up to her daughter and realized Kagome was taller than she was by few inches, looking down at her. Reaching out to touch the pale cheek, "I'm your mother; this is your grandfather and brother. How…" Finding asking questions so suddenly weren't the best idea. "Come in, do you want some tea?"

Kagome nodded, figuring she best sit down and take in the event slowly. She followed the woman who was her mother into the house and into the kitchen. She glanced around, finding the odd contraption everywhere. Nothing seemed familiar and at the same time, it was a nagging touch that she couldn't figure it out. She was seated at the table and served tea soon. Her grandfather and brother had seated themselves as well, keeping wise to remain silent.

Aniko finally sat herself down next to Kagome at the table, "I'm not sure where to start. Obviously, you lost your memory of your family, of where you came from." She saw Kagome nod, "Maybe, you should tell us who you are now."

Kagome took a sip of her tea, finding the soothing of the herbal tea calming her down, "Yes, my name is Kagome, only my closest friends and family calls me that… where I just came from," She glanced to the window to the well house, "But I am known as Yokononishi-Sama, Lady of the West." She turned as her grandfather took a sharp breath and sent him a questioning glance.

He waved his hand as he wheezed, "Yokononishi-Sama? She's a myth, a legendary empress from five hundred years ago! An ebony inuyoukai who brought the entire Japan under a Lord's rule single handily and was fabled to be a goddess. This can't be…" He stared at Kagome and studied her face. "InuYasha is an inu-hanyou, is it related, somehow?"  
Kagome nodded, "He was, and yes."  
"Was?" Her grandfather wheezed again.

"He died twelve years ago… wait… Even if I'm trying to tell you who I am, you all have so much more question… and I have a lot more."  
Aniko nodded, "It's rather confusing, we'll wait until you finish."

"Thank you. Yes, I am Yokononishi; it is the name my Lord mate gave me when I became his mate ten years ago. Where to begin… " She told them her tale of becoming a Geisha and falling into SesshoMaru's hands, and finally becoming his mate, then the wars in the last ten years she had gone through, just had finally won the Eastern Land and to the visit to the grave and her fall in the well.

Aniko closed her eyes as Kagome finished her tale, "From what I can understand, the battle with Naraku… Kagome, you were here a month ago, saying that you won't be back until after the battle with Naraku. To you, it was twelve years ago… I don't understand…"  
Kagome nodded, "I remember only from when I first met InuYasha and afterward, but nothing of where I came from… I do remember going to the well and returning from the well but nothing of in between, it was as if my memory had been removed of this, this place…" She gestured to around her, "When I came out of the well, I felt the power die. I told InuYasha this, I knew I was stuck… in Sengoku Jidai… What era is this?" She looked up to her mother, realizing as she remembered where she came from was called.

Souta decided to pipe up, "Sengoku Jidai is five hundred years in the past for us. Welcome to the future, sis. There's no youkai around here today."  
Kagome felt herself hyperventilate, realizing she was torn apart over five centuries away from her mate and her family. She stared at the tabletop, trying to breath, distantly realizing her mother was trying to sooth her by rubbing her back. She whispered, "SesshoMaru… no…"

"Who is this SesshoMaru?" Souta asked, curious as he watched in odd fascination at his sister.

"My mate… my Lord…" She muttered.

Her grandfather nodded, "Mate, youkai meaning for husband and wife, ne?"

Kagome nodded, "Yes… InuYasha was his half brother, he's the Lord of the Western Land… now, and I don't know where he is… I've never been apart from him… Not even in war… I… I…" She finally broke down and cried, realizing how she had been a hand in the disappearance of the youkai in the modern day, according to the humans who claimed to be her family, there was no youkai existing in their era.

Aniko helped her up to her bedroom and watched as Kagome cried herself to sleep. She reached out to touch Kagome's face after she fell asleep. She traced her pale skin, wiping away the cold tears and she found that the marking on her face wasn't even make up but part of her skin. She saw her daughter's ears, tapered like elf. "Oh, Kagome, your fate had ripped you away from us, distanced you and yet, the wheel had turned, ripped you away from your loved one again… You're so alienated here, where you once belong…"  
She stood up and left the room, meeting with her father at the doorway. He looked somber, "She just never belonged here… She should return to Sengoku Jidai. It is where she belongs; it is where her path had been carved out for her…"

Her mother frowned, "If she belonged there, then, why was she born in this era?"  
"Who know, Kami-Sama has strange ideas for everyone… he sure have stranger one for Kagome… whatever it is, she is here for a reason, but it is only for a short time…"

"But, the well is not working anymore, she's stuck here." Aniko whispered, looking back at her sleeping daughter, covered with layers of kimono. Her geta shoes lay beside her bed and she realized that Kagome's height was added by the ancient geta shoes alone.

"She will go back, eventually… somehow. I believe Kami wanted her here for something and once she has it, she will return…"

"Her memory? It's so strange to see my daughter, one month ago, she was sixteen years old school girl, and now, she grew ten years, into a different woman, an immortal fairy tale princess… whatever she is."

Her father shook his head, "She's no princess… trust me. She is a hard hearted woman, she faced bloodshed, violence and very, very respected figure of the myth. She is Yokononishi-Sama, the Ocean Child of the West… Yes, her soul, there is a little girl named Kagome, and that is our child, the very core of the woman we are seeing."

"Yokononishi, I remember the tale you used to tell me when I was younger… I just can't believe my daughter is her… it's just not right."

Aniko's father led her away from Kagome's bedroom, "Don't worry… deep in our heart, she will always be Kagome. That is her essence, which is our daughter with the eyes of water. She had made a path of her life and she must run the course, we will help her, nothing more, nothing less."

* * *

A week passed and Kagome had slowly adapted to her life in the future, relearning who her family was and where she had came from. Her family was very understanding and helpful, even little Souta. Her memory came back little by little, by the help of her family; she nearly remembered everything, but not all.

Despite the return of her memory, the future was strange and out of place for her. She was mortified when she learned that she once wore indecent clothing and she had found she preferred using silks instead of anything. Having to put her kimono away, she grudgingly wore her clothes she had in her closets so she wouldn't stand out of place. Even her mother offered to buy her make up to cover the youkai marking on her face but she turned her mother down and covered the marking up with her power, astounding her mother even farther.

"Do you think you would like to return to school, seeing you might be here for a while?" Kagome looked up to her mother and blinked owlishly from the book she was reading in the kitchen.

"Uhm, I don't think I would feel comfortable. I'm like ten years older than anyone… wouldn't they notice?" She was currently using her power had concealed her appearance, making her look like a human girl she appeared to be twelve years ago.

Aniko turned away from the sink to stare at her daughter, "Actually, you have not aged, you looked the same the day you fell down the well, and the only difference is you're a youkai, not a human anymore, which changed your feature, a little bit. If you do not want to return to school, that's all right. You can always help out with the shrine."

The phone rang and Kagome got up to answer it, "Hello?" She winced and pulled the phone away from her ear as loud shriek emitted from the earpiece.

"Kagome, you're back!" The voice of the girl shouted in glee.

Kagome gave an odd look and turned to her mother, "Who is this?"  
Her mother took the phone, "Oh, Eri, hello… yes… she's back home from visiting her relatives… hold on." Aniko turned to Kagome, "This is your friend, you used to go to school with her and hang out with her all the time with two others… they want to see you… are you up to it?"  
Kagome shrugged, missing her friends in Sengoku Jidai. "I suppose…"

Aniko returned to the phone, "Yes, you can come over this afternoon… Okay, bye." She hung up the phone and turned to her daughter, concerned look on her face, "Are you sure you want to face them? We will have to come up with some stories… you were sick on and off since your fifteen birthday, and in the last one month, I told the school that you were out of the town, visiting your relatives… I have not yet taken you out of school yet."

Kagome waved her hand, "I'll just tell them I went to the country, beside, it's almost like Sengoku Jidai in the country…" She brushed her hair away from her face; she had taken up to tying it up in a simple bun since it was so long.

"All right. They will be here this afternoon around three… you have some time to get ready."

The afternoon came quickly and Kagome soon became overwhelmed as three girls shouted with glee as they saw her. They clamored over how they missed her and how much school she had missed and catching her up with gossips of the month that was worth years.

Finally, Yuka noticed Kagome was silent the entire time and held her hands up to the other two to be quiet, "Kagome? What is it, you're quiet… it's almost as if you're not even here…"  
Kagome blinked and sighed, "I'm sorry…" She had forgotten to change her accent and noticed strange look from her friends and cleared her throat, "The country, one month there, it's enough to change somebody… It's beautiful, quiet and different… Not much like the city."

Eri nodded, "Yeah… I wonder how you got your hair so long… must be a special shampoo or something?"

Kagome's hand went to her hair and shrugged, "Natural herbs, good organic food." She laughed uneasily, finding herself very uncomfortable with the girls.

"If you were out in the country, how come you're so pale?" Ayumi asked poking Kagome's cheek.

"I stayed inside the shrine most of the time, not enough sun."

The girls accepted her answers and soon bombarded her about other things. None of them found her change suspicious, except for Yuka, who happened to be the smart one of the three, she had noticed the strange change in Kagome and there was a strange light in the faraway blue eyes. She wondered what Kagome had seen to change her so much, it was as if the girl before them had grown up and aged considerably many years beyond their youth.

"Oh, Hojo just heard you're back, I think he's going to stop by and see you…" Eri squealed.

Kagome frowned, not knowing who she had meant, "Hojo?"  
"Yeah, the guy who liked you… You know… you went out on couple of dates with him…" Kagome nodded, vaguely remembering sweet but insipid boy from school. Eri waved her hand, "Anyhoo, you think you will go with him this weekend if he asks you out?"

Kagome shook her head, "No. I can't."

"Why not?" Ayumi asked.

"I… I have a…" She tried to recall the right word and smiled, "a boyfriend."

Eri grinned, "You mean, out in the country, ooh… is he handsome? Strong?"  
"You sure it's not that two timing jerk?"  
Kagome turned to Eri, "Who?"  
Yuka also noticed the hesitancy in Kagome's voice and how mature she sounded, with a strange accent. The accent reminded her of her own grandparents, they spoke with old accent. She was also curious to why Kagome seemed to not remember Hojo or anything else but left it as it is as the other girls kept on.

Kagome stared at the three girls; she was amazed how much her lives had come so far to change her completely that she felt uncomfortable with them. Even the modern era, where she had been born into and grown up to the age of fifteen was uncomfortable. She had yearned to return to the Sengoku Jidai, to be with SesshoMaru. Even she rather to be out in the battlefield, to be fighting rather than sitting around and doing nothing.

She didn't return to school, rather her mother took her out of school, seeing how very uncomfortable Kagome was. The turned youkai girl took up to helping around the shrine, cleaning and helping her grandfather to serve the people. Each day, she often had a far-away look on her face as she thought of her life in Sengoku Jidai.

Her young brother grew disappointed, seeing how changed his older sister was and in the time that Kagome wasn't around, he asked his grandfather who Kagome had changed into. His grandfather told him about Yokononishi, what the fabled legend, little as it was, told about her. Souta was surprised and one time, he asked Kagome what she had seen being Yokononishi.

Kagome replied simply, "Years of war." It surprised Souta and he asked what it was like. She had looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "It was terrible. I had to do terrible things, not even anyone nowadays would understand. It was something that should stay in the past." Souta then decided it was not best to pry any farther. The sadness in her eyes stopped him cold and he left her alone, only trying to get along with her when she seemed up to it.

Ariko was heart-torn to watch her daughter go day by day, looking very lost and out of place in the modern era. Kagome only would go out to shopping or anywhere as long Ariko went anywhere. She had seen the look on her daughter's face, seeing the world through different eyes. From what she understood, Yokononishi had a different world, it was full of bloodshed, war and harsh society, also it was a world of wealth and from the clothes she had seen Kagome wearing when arrived, she could see that Kagome lived like gods, looking down to humans.

Her grandfather was shocked to say at the least, to learn his daughter was the fabled Yokononishi-sama. He had grown up knowing of the very little known youkai that was known to change the entire youkai society and seized rule of almost all four lands for her mate, the cold-hearted stoic inuyoukai, SesshoMaru-sama. He dove right into researching and finding all the known documents on Yokononishi and he studied Kagome, and it didn't take him too long to notice that he was truly in the presence of Yokononishi rather than his own granddaughter and he grieved that the girl he knew as Kagome was no more.

One day, a month later, Kagome sat in her room, sitting at the desk, looking out of the window. She recalled the memories of InuYasha coming into her bedroom, coming to get her or to visit. She smiled fondly at the memories. Her heart grew heavy each day passed by. She had recently found out she was pregnant, it had shocked her and grieved her so much, knowing she was five hundreds years away from SesshoMaru and he had no way of knowing. She looked down to her belly, still flat and she rubbed her hand across her belly, feeling the life within.

For the longest time, she and SesshoMaru had no plan of ever conceiving a child anytime soon. The war with the Eastern Land was a threat and in their face until the end. Now with everything in the youkai world, things were changing and she was busy, helping to change the laws, relocating the war torn youkai families and people and many other things, not even a thought of a having a child ever occurred to her.

Now, in the future, she learned she was pregnant and it broke her heart. She wasn't sure how she would raise her children, in the world of humans. She had considered going out to search for the hidden youkai, to find them and see if she would find her place among them. She knew in her heart that she did not belong with her family, or in the modern era anymore. A tear fell from her face.

The day was beautiful, sunny and warm; the court of the shrine was in full bloom. Her brother was playing around, kicking the soccer ball. From her window, she saw her friends approaching to visit her. She had come to accept their company, knowing it would help her to pass the time. She didn't want to appear too suspicious pushing them away. They knew she had dropped out of school and didn't question her. She got up and went downstairs to meet them outside. Her mother had several glasses of lemonades ready for them.

For good thirty minutes, they chatted about everything, except Kagome was more silent, listening and laughing at the right time. She drank the lemonade, looking to the well-house, wondering if it would work again. She heard footsteps and glanced to the entrance of the Shrine and saw Hojo approaching them. She knew his ancestors and found it was very strange to know Hojo as well. He was very much like his ancestor, the one who were smitten with her during the time she traveled with InuYasha. She smiled at the memory of the feudal age Hojo.

"Hello, I was just passing by and thought to stop by." Hojo said as he approached them.

Eri sighed, "Aw, that's so sweet of you!" She gushed and Hojo's cheek tinged pink.

He looked to Kagome. "We missed you in school. How are you feeling?"

Kagome shrugged, "I'm fine. What bring you by, it's not just passing by the way, and you live in the other direction from the school." She said, knowing this.

Hojo gave a weak chuckle and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Actually, I came to ask you out, you know, a movie and a dinner sometime soon."

Kagome frowned and stood up and her hair came loose from the chopsticks and fell down to her knee. The four of them gasped at her, surprised to see how long her hair is. She sighed and picked up the chopsticks that fell out and turned to Hojo. She was about to answer but a feral growl filled the court and they all went wide-eyed, turning to look at the well-house. There stood an inuyoukai, his golden eyes tinged red as he growled, glaring at Hojo.

The poor human boy went white, staring at the inuyoukai who stalked toward them, speaking in sequences of barks and growls. They soon heard another replied in same fashion. Despite their fear of the ferocious stranger, they all turned to Kagome, who were speaking at the stranger with the same language. She ran to him with delight on her face and relief. She threw herself into his arm, hugging him and kissing his face. She cried, "Oh, SesshoMaru! I never thought I'd go home ever again!"

SesshoMaru glared at the human boy then looked to her, nuzzling his nose into her hair. It took him a month, with help of Shippo, searching for the final tiny piece of shard of the Shikon no Tama. It was so tiny that it was just mere silver. "What was he doing to you?" He asked.

She blinked and looked over to Hojo who looked pale and shocked. She saw her mother and her family joining them, surprised as well but not shell-shocked. "Oh." She swallowed and reverted into their language. "I'm sorry. Everyone, this is SesshoMaru-sama, the Lord of Western Land, which is known as the entire Japan today. He is my mate, in simple term, my husband." She said, looking up at him with adoration and love in her eyes, she had missed him too terribly.

Yuka stepped forward, "He's not human, and do you know that?" She gestured to him and then drew her hand back as if burned when he growled softly at her.

Kagome nodded. "I'm not either." She closed her eye and shook her head lightly, allowing the illusion to fall from her, revealing herself as an inuyoukai. Her eyes, ears and feature changed, revealing her for who she truly is. "It's a real long story, the basic is that the well-house behind here hold a time traveling well where I've been traveling since I was fifteen between two era, this era and Sengoku Jidai, five hundreds years in the past. InuYasha, as some of you know the two-timing-jerk came from that era and was his half-brother." She looked to SesshoMaru again who stood stoic and proud, his arm wrapped around her waist. "I traveled with him in search for a powerful object, the Shikon no Tama. I am it's guardian and in the end, InuYasha and I defeated the evil hanyou who wanted the jewel for power and world domination. From that defeat, I lost my memories and through the next two years from that defeat, I became a Geisha, met him and he became my Danna during the time. Then, I became his mate, becoming an inuyoukai." She stepped away from SesshoMaru slightly and stood tall and regal, the shine in her eyes demanded respect and fear, "I am Yokononishi of the West."

Hojo gasped loudly, "The fabled goddess? You can't be!"

Kagome turned to him and shot a strange look that caused him to buckle slightly. "I am her. I went through the last ten years in Sengoku Jidai, warring against the Eastern Land, bringing it down and under my mate's rule. I've killed, maimed, tortured, pillaged the people and villages in the enemy ground of the Eastern Land. I have the powers almost equal to Kami." She held out her hand and a golden orb appeared, shooting out like flame and then suddenly becoming white and blue, cracking like ice before it shattered and fell to the ground under her hand. She saw the disbelief in her friends' eyes and saw doubt in Hojo's. She looked up to the sky and her eyes turned pale, the sky above them became dark and churned, becoming into a storm. The lightening cracked across the sky before fading into simple blue sky, as if there were never a storm. She looked at them, "Isn't that enough or do I have to kill you and bring you back alive to believe me?"

Hojo fell to his knee, bowing. "I apologize, my lady. My family worshiped you for many generations. It's really shocking to know that you are Yokononishi I've grown up hearing about." He looked up to see Kagome nodding and he stood up, stepping back, unsure of her mate who glared at him. He realized why SesshoMaru looked feral at him; he had attempted to court Kagome.

Yuka stepped up, getting as close she could to Kagome, looking over at SesshoMaru warily. She took Kagome's hand and found it very cold from the ice. "Kagome… Yokononishi, I suspected there was a change in you since the last time we saw you. Now I understand you don't belong here. We had missed you enough to get used to going on with life without you around. You never belonged here in the first place. Even when we were younger, you were different." She looked up to SesshoMaru. "I can see, you love him very much and you belong where he is, that is your world." She smiled and gave Kagome a hug, finally recognizing the Kagome she knew in the girl she was waiting to appear. When she let her go, Ayumi and Yuka ran to her, hugging her and crying.

Kagome hugged her friends as SesshoMaru stood aside, watching in silence. He growled slightly when Hojo approached her. He didn't dare to hug Kagome but gave a respectful bow. Soon, her friends left, telling her that they wanted to see her before she leave and Kagome nodded, waving good-byes.

As her friends disappeared down the stairs, she turned to her mother who approached her. "You're leaving." She simply said.

Kagome nodded. "I don't belong here. I belong with SesshoMaru, our people need us, need me. I am also pregnant and I can't well bring up my children here in this era." She looked over to see surprise look on SesshoMaru's face and saw him take a quick sniff and it was confirmed. She smiled as she recognized happiness and pride in his eyes. She spoke in inuyoukai, "SesshoMaru, can we stay one night, so I can say good-bye to my family?"

He gave a single nod. She gave grateful thanks. "I'm staying for one more night and I have to leave in the morning."

Ariko nodded and turned to SesshoMaru, bowing, "Thank you, Lord SesshoMaru. It is a honor to have you here." She stood up and saw SesshoMaru gave a single nod again, appreciating her welcome.

Grandfather looked almost gleeful to have the revered legendary dog lord in his house. He rushed off to the house and held the door open to allow Kagome and SesshoMaru come in.

SesshoMaru stayed the night, questioning Kagome about her stay in the modern era and she questioned about his quest in finding the silver of the Shikon no Tama. She found it ironic that the moment he found it; it had cut into his skin and disappeared into his blood. He had cursed to every god known to him, afraid that he lost the shard and to Shippo's suggestion, to go back to the well and see if it works. Indeed, throwing caution to the wind, he jumped in and came to the other end of the well only to hear the conversation between her and the boy, Hojo. He was furious to find that there was a suitor after his dear mate. He was extremely jealous and couldn't stop himself from growling threats.

Kagome had laughed and kissed him through the night in her room, too happy to be with him again. When she finally fell asleep, he stayed up a little bit longer, he saw that she had regained her memories and the essence of the true Kagome had returned, however, he knew the personality of Onnako, Sadako and Yokononishi were integrated into Kagome, making her whole and complete, who she is now. He reached down and laid his hand on her belly; he had not expected for her to be pregnant and thought it was just about the right time. He smiled, knowing his future heir was growing in her belly.

The next day, after breakfast and a long heartfelt conversation with her family, she redressed and did her hair up as Yokononishi and slipped on her geta shoes, increasing her height. In short mere hour of getting dressed, she came outside in the court looking every bit like a regal empress. Her family couldn't help but felt awe to see the sight of her, simply standing next to SesshoMaru and they both radiated demands of respect and fear as well power. SesshoMaru turned to Kagome and spoke quietly, "I've come to give you Tessaiga but learned you had fell down the well. Now, here it is." He said as he handed the red sheathed sword to her. She took it and tucked it in her sash by her side and turned to her family.

Souta swallowed hard, having a hard time to believe his sister was something out of fairy tale. He eyed the sword and looked up to her blue eyes. She knelt down to his level and held her arms open. He saw the familiar Kagome he knew in her eyes and ran to her, hugging her. "You be a good boy for Mama and Grandpa." She said softly into his hair. "I miss you so much, Souta. I love you." She said as she stood up and turned to her mother and grandfather.

Her grandfather hobbled up to her and hugged her. "I am proud of you, no matter what, Kagome." He said and stepped back, turning to SesshoMaru, "I am honored that Kagome is mated to you, I could not ask for a better man for her." He bowed and SesshoMaru bowed his head in return.

Ariko stepped up to Kagome and held out a box. "Here's a parting gift. I hope to see you again someday, knowing you are immortal and you may as well live through the next five hundred years. It's strange to give this to you because it was passed down for several generation in our family and it will return to it's original time and where it had came from." Kagome took the carved wooden box and slid the top open to reveal soft but aged velvet lining inside. Two beautiful jade combs sat inside, it had design of magnolia blossom on the center and sakura on the sides. Beneath the comb was a plastic sheet that she pulled out to see. It was a thickly laminated photo of her family. She felt the tears falling out of her eyes. She looked up to her mother. "So you would not forget your family and where you came from." She smiled, crying as well.

"Thank you mother, I don't think I will ever forget you again." She hugged her mother and stepped back, closing the box and tucking it in her coat. She looked to the gate to find her friends standing their, shell-shocked awe on their face. SesshoMaru gave an annoyed growl under his breath. Kagome touched his arm and stepped forward to meet them. "Guys." She said. "I gotta go soon."

"Wow, you don't look like yourself. So this is Yokononishi?" Yuka asked as he gave Kagome a look over. Kagome nodded, smiling.

"Yes. That is who I am, my life in the past."

Hojo bowed, "I am honored to meet you, Yokononishi-sama and SesshoMaru-sama. Truly honored to know you, Kagome." He smiled as he stood up again.

Eri and Ayumi squealed as they latched onto Kagome, crying and hugging, telling her goodbye and they would miss her. Yuka rolled her eyes and hugged Kagome as well.

"Thank you guys. I'll miss you." She gave them a final wave and turned to her family and waved as well. "Someday." She bowed and turned to enter the Well-House with SesshoMaru and soon, with the blue flash, they were gone.

"Wow…" Souta said and turned to his grandfather, "You gotta tell me more about Yokononishi!"

"Er, what we know about her is all there is documented. I suppose, I could research." He replied and hobbled off to the shrine.

* * *


	13. Water, the Ever Unchanging and Changing

-Water, the Ever Unchanging and Changing Essence -

* * *

Grandpa hobbled back toward the house from the shrine's storage, several scrolls in his hands. Muttering to himself, he entered the kitchen and sat himself at the table, his notebook and pen already ready. He had been writing in his note book ever since his granddaughter left a year ago with her Lord.

He had discovered that most of the scrolls he had in his shrine storage was devoted to history of youkai. He knew it was there but for the longest time, he had believed them to be a myth but until the reappearance of his granddaughter as one of the mythical woman in the scroll, his belief was turned around a hundred and eighty degree.

A year later, he was close to completing the history of his own granddaughter through the last five hundred years and it was almost as if he was keeping close touch with her. The scrolls were written by his family's ancestor, tracing back to the closest friends of Kagome, the monk and the slayer.

From his understanding of the ancient writing, Kagome had gone through many wars, aiding her Lord mate. By the end of the four hundred reigns, SesshoMaru had taken full control of entire Japan and nearly the entire eastern world. The scroll didn't mention the full details of her life but just enough for him to understand who she had become into. Pride swelled in his heart as he read the scroll, reading her success, her devious plan and kind reigns.

"Father, how is it coming?" Aniko asked as she entered the kitchen, getting ready to prepare dinner.

"If I had studied these scrolls before, I would have been able to foresee all of this. It is amazing, Kagome had done so much. I'm nearly complete." He stood and stretched, closing the notebook and gathering up the scrolls, "Over the time, she disappeared from the society as a Lady of the West. It's hard to tell where she ended up with her husband."

Aniko smiled, "The correct term, I believe Kagome told us is mate. So, where could she be? Did she die or something?"

"No, no I do not believe so. I have just about enough to publish a book about her; sadly, the rest of the world would believe this is a myth. How about those dinner?"

"I am going to make Oden, just thinking about her, I just miss her and to make her favorite dish makes me feel better. And if you do publish this book," She patted the notebook, "It is enough for the world to have more information about 'Lady Yokononishi'. There is very little information out there and you have nearly everything. It is a quiet find."  
"Dinner do sound good, daughter. I shall leave you to your cooking. And you are right, I think the world needs more information about Lady Yokononishi, who had single handily changed Japan into what it is nowadays, only if I could know what happened to her toward the end. I'll be in the shrine."

"Sure thing, Father."

Grandpa chuckled as he hobbled out of the kitchen with scrolls in his arms, bounding toward the shine. He paused to see Souta in the courtyard of the shrine, doing his soccer kicks. He shook his head as the ball went down the front steps and knew it was a long way down. Thinking it would do the boy good to run down and back. He hobbled away to the shrine, muttering himself about old age in his bones.

Souta groaned and wished to the Kami that the steps actually have gates to prevent him from losing his ball. He considered about actually asking to install the gates after all. He ran to the steps and halfway down, he stopped, watching three black limos pull up in the street in the front of the steps. His ball had rolled to the first one, stopping at the back door.

The door opened and a tall man with silver hair stepped out, he was dressed in rich dark colored kimono that indicated he was of a higher class. Souta stared with awe as the man picked up his ball and looked up, his face was stoic but a hint of smirk played on his lips, his eyes were bright blue. He had crescent moon on his forehead and he remembered his older sister to have it on her forehead as well her husband from a year ago. This man was unfamiliar to him.

The man stepped away from the door and the two other limos doors opened. Souta gaped as he watched several rich kimono clad people started to come out of the limos. Thinking better to go and warn his mother and grandfather, he ran back up the steps, calling, "Mom, Grandpa! There are people coming here!"  
Aniko stepped outside from the kitchen door, "What is it?"  
"Three limos, they're coming up, they look very, very rich." Souta said with one breath and Grandpa joined them.

They turned to the entrance to see several people coming on top of the stairs with grace and air of nobility. Aniko gasped as she noticed they were all youkai, with some exception of few. She recognized SesshoMaru and Kagome in the front. They looked as if they came out of Japanese fairy tale pages with their elaborate kimonos. The only people nowadays would wear kimonos of such color and class would be of high nobles.

Kagome stepped to her mother and smiled, "Mom…"

Aniko smiled her eyes watery from tears, "Kagome… you're back…" They both embraced long and finally they broke away, she looked over her daughter's shoulder to the other strangers, "Who are they?"

Kagome smiled as she turned to SesshoMaru, "You remember SesshoMaru. These are my family." Aniko gasped softly as she saw the resemblance of both her daughter and her mate in some of the people. "My sons and daughters" She gestured for her children to step closer, "This is my mother, Aniko, your grandmother." She turned back, "Mom, your grandchildren," She grasped the first man that Souta had saw earlier by the arm, "This is Sesshoichi, you remember when I was pregnant, and this is him. Our first born."

Sesshoichi, with silver hair and blue eyes bowed, "Grandmother, mother had told us about you, keeping fond memories of her family. I am pleased to meet you at last."

Aniko laughed, "Oh, you don't have to be so formal with us."

Kagome smiled and turned to silver haired and golden eyed woman, she looked every bit like her father but with her mother's feature. "My eldest daughter, Hanaginko." She bowed as well, demurely and smiling. "Then, Jirokin." She gestured to the second male, her second son with black hair and golden eyes, "He is every bit like his uncle, InuYasah." She laughed as Jirokin crossed his arms on his chest, muttering a soft 'keh' under his breath. "Miya and Miyo, twin daughters." She turned to identical women.

Aniko smiled as she saw two identical women, they looked every bit like her mother when she was younger, and one had an exception of golden eyes. She assumed they were strong willed and defiant like Kagome once was.

"Our last son, Togazo." Kagome waved her hand to the younger man with high pony tail, he grinned rakishly, exposing his canine teeth. He was named after his grandfather and had his personality to boot.

SesshoMaru stepped up to Kagome and turned sideway to expose a young girl, few years younger than Souta hiding behind her father's hakama. "Kohana."

Kagome smiled as she pulled Kohana's hand away from her father's hakama, "She's rather very shy. Our youngest." She pushed Kohana to stand in front of her, she had silver hair and golden eyes, yet her feature were soft and reminded Aniko of Kagome when she was younger.

Aniko smiled, "Hello Kohana, you're a beautiful girl. Oh, Kagome, it's a dream come true for you to be alive after five hundred years and to bring your family to us."

Kagome nodded, "I wanted to come last year but SesshoMaru felt it was wise for you to wait a year, to adjust to the time change in all of us. I missed you Mom. Never once I have forgotten you or my family."

Her grandfather stood by, silently watching, observing the people with pride in his heart. He knew he could die happy, to see his great-grandchildren at last, despite them being youkai and many hundred years older than himself and now he knew how Yokononishi fared in the end of his book.

"Remember I told you about Shippo and Rin?" Kagome asked and she saw her mother nod. She gestured to the tall red haired man standing beside a youkai woman, "Shippo, and his mate, Souten. Then," She turned to a human looking woman with long brown hair and deep brown eyes, "Rin and her husband Kohaku, they are the only two humans to remain immoral along with the family. Kohaku's sister was our ancestor, Sango."

Grandpa nodded, "I recently learned that. Kagome, I've been following your life through the old scrolls left in the shrine. You've done amazing things."

"Thank you grandpa. Is that Oden I'm smelling?"

SesshoMaru cracked a smile as he wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist, "She's been looking forward to eating Oden after five hundred years."  
Aniko laughed, "Oh my, I better prepare more for everyone. I suppose it would be good to eat outside this evening…" She turned and gestured to the house. Soon, her grandchildren burst with chatters, following her to help her and get to know their grandmother after all those years.

SesshoMaru watched his children scatter after Kagome's human family and turned to her, meeting her eyes of ocean, "Promise kept, we survive those five hundred years… Are you happy?"  
Kagome looked up to meet his eyes of fire, "I've always been happy, not even one moment I've ever felt sad in my entire life, yes, all five hundred years."

He traced her cheek and leaned down, giving her kiss, "Good, look forward to another five hundred years, more children?"  
She laughed at him, "Always, for just you."

* * *

Souta smiled as he came to the last page of the book, the tale of Lady Yokononishi, he spoke, his old voice strong as he read to his grandchildren gathered around his legs, watching with rapt attention. "After five turns of centuries, despite the fading away legendary empress, Yokononishi remained alive, blended with the changing of time, becoming into a fabled myth, she remained true and loyal to her mate, Lord SesshoMaru, whose name also faded away as well, both becoming nothing more than a mist in a dream of the mortal kinds. They lived long and happy, with their children and their children as well.

Perhaps, in the street or in the restaurant, if you ever come to find a woman with ebony hair and eyes of water, with a man of a noble look, silver hair and the eyes of sunset, perhaps, they are Yokononishi and SesshoMaru of the myth, though don't ask, for they will deny and laugh, their time as noble creatures had long been over and they merely lives among us, like a wisp in the wind."

He closed the book and smiled as he brought the story to conclusion that he remembered by memory, "She once told me a long time ago, 'This is simply the story of Kagome, a girl who was everything, a simple school girl to a Miko and into a Geisha then to a Lady and finally an Empress. But the soul remained the same, much as water carves path in the earth, always changing, adapting but the essence stay the same. That is who I am, Kagome.'"

The End

* * *


End file.
